Trump official hints at inaugural address approach, comments on Tom Price

The chairman of the Presidential Inaugural Committee on Tuesday hinted at President-elect Donald Trump’s approach for his inaugural address in Washington, D.C. on Friday.

“This is a president-elect who is just anxious to get back to work,” said Tom Barrack, a longtime friend and Trump business partner, in an interview on “CBS This Morning.”

“What you’ll hear in his address is a switch from candidate to president,” he added.

Mr. Trump, Barrack said, will focus on “the issues that unite us” and that the divisions across the U.S. from the campaign would “vanish.”

Barrack was asked to comment on new revelations that Rep. Tom Price, R-Georgia, Mr. Trump’s Health and Human Services nominee, may have engaged in insider trading when he purchased shares in a medical device company and then introduced legislation to help the company.

“I know Tom,” Barrack said, “He’s first class and we’re so fortunate to have him.”

Barrack said that “the perception of impropriety lurks everywhere” when you’re under the spotlight.

“I think he’ll prevail in this,” he added.

Asked if there will be a conflict between the U.S. and China under the Trump administration, Mr. Barrack said, “No, I think you’re looking at rebalancing.” Barrack said that Mr. Trump “knows how to level the playing field” and he said it “doesn’t really matter what the Chinese think” in response to the president-elect questioning the One China policy. 

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