The Fifth Risk

The Fifth Risk opens in April 2016, when those still in the presidential race started planning for what would happen if they were to take office in January of the next year, and when Chris Christie was named the leader of Donald Trump’s transition team. In July, once Trump became the official Republican nominee for president, Christie and his team begin putting together lists of potential candidates to fill the 500 most crucial government positions. Each week, these lists are given to the “executive committee.” Only one name is ever rejected by this group.

Donald Trump himself stays out of the transition planning until he reads about how several million dollars have been fundraised to compensate the transition team. Once he discovers this, he demands to see Chris Christie and Steve Bannon, his chief strategist, and yells at both of them for spending these funds. They explain that, by law, the nominees of each party have to start planning for the transition if they are to win the election. The federal government provides the office space, and the campaigns provide the people. Upon hearing this, Trump demands that they stop the transition planning, saying, “Fuck the law.