Early Signals

President-elect Donald Trump is being very astute in his initial personnel decisions. He knows he will face fierce resistance from the media and the D.C. establishment. He also knows he cannot be at war with both the Democrats and Republicans in Congress. With that in mind, Trump selected Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus to be White House Chief of Staff.

That choice may irritate some supporters. But from the perspective of the new administration, Priebus did the most important thing he could do after the two Obama victories. He helped make this victory possible.

Priebus methodically rebuilt the GOP's grassroots infrastructure, including a massive voter database that enabled the party to do the kind of micro-targeting that the Obama campaign had done so effectively. Trump held the big rallies that made news and generated enthusiasm, while the RNC zeroed in on the voters most likely to support Trump and Republican congressional candidates.

He also demonstrated his loyalty. During one critical moment in the summer, when the media were stoking reports of tension within the GOP, Priebus appeared unannounced at a Trump rally in Erie, Pennsylvania. He publicly stood by the party's nominee, telling the crowd not to believe "the garbage" in the media.

To reassure the grassroots movement that comprised the core of his support, President-elect Trump also named Steve Bannon, former CEO of Breitbart, as his chief strategist. Bannon's appointment sends a strong message that the key themes of the campaign will not be forgotten.

There was another major personnel decision announced late last week. Amid reports of infighting between conservative and moderate elements in the transition team, Trump effectively demoted New Jersey Governor Chris Christie and put Vice President-elect Mike Pence in charge of the transition efforts. It was also announced that Senator Jeff Sessions' chief of staff would serve as executive director of the transition team.

Here are some other signals President-elect Trump sent on the kind of president he will be:
 

• Trump said that he would not be taking big vacations or a salary as president.
   
• He called the family of a New York City police sergeant who was gunned down recently.
   
• He is providing food and drinks to police officers who are protecting Trump Tower from deranged demonstrators.

  Violence Continues

  There is no need to review what the left-wing storm troopers have been doing in cities such as Portland. While there have been a few reported incidents of Trump supporters crossing the line, many of these so-called hate crimes are complete fabrications.

  For example, the Louisiana student who claimed her hijab had been ripped off by a Trump supporter has confessed that she lied and is now being charged for filing a false police report.

  Last night, during an interview on "60 Minutes," Trump looked into the camera and told his supporters who might be engaging in such behavior to stop it. When will Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton do the same?

  Sadly, the vast majority of the violence is coming from the left, as it so often does.
   

• A Trump supporter in Connecticut was attacked.
   
• A Trump supporter was choked on a Bronx subway.
   
• A Trump supporter in Chicago was viciously beaten.
   
• Twitter, which is quick to ban conservatives, erupted in assassination threats against Trump. Now "Rape Melania" is trending.
   
• Homes are being vandalized with anti-Trump graffiti.
   
• Liberals who are telling the left to calm down are being excoriated. Last week, Oprah Winfrey tweeted, "Everybody take a deep breath! Hope lives." The left-wing backlash was immediate.

  The entire media complex tried to convince America that when Trump lost, his supporters would refuse to accept the results and they would be the ones rioting in the streets. Well, the results are in and one-third of Clinton supporters are refusing to accept them. Her supporters are the people in the streets today.

  Big media has a special obligation to condemn the vandalism, riots and hate crimes perpetrated by the left in recent days.

  The Left's Hypocrisy

  Liberal commentators who got the election all wrong are now demanding that Donald Trump reassure his opponents. Where were these concerned voices when the Supreme Court and the left overturned thousands of years of Western Civilization and redefined marriage?

  What did Obama do in the wake of that decision? He stuck his finger in the eyes of concerned Americans by bathing the White House in the "rainbow" of the gay rights movement. It's only when the right wins that the media find any obligation for the victor to be magnanimous.

  The media are also trying to demoralize conservatives by claiming that Trump is already backing down from things he campaigned on. The best example is Obamacare.

  Over the weekend, Trump suggested that ideas such as letting college students stay on their parent's health insurance and providing coverage for pre-existing conditions may be kept. CNN gleefully ran this headline, "Is Donald Trump Already Walking Away From Campaign Promises?"

  No, he isn't. Trump has been consistent on this.

  This is the same media that justified its over-the-top bias against Donald Trump. The American people didn't fall for the media's spin before the election. Hopefully they won't fall for it now.

  More Bizarre Behavior
   

• Last week the superintendent of the Baltimore school system tweeted this: "show your muslim, black, latino, jewish, disabled, or just non-white [students], that you love them and will protect them!" Translation: Love all students but the white ones.
   
• While expressing his commitment to "diversity and inclusion," Matt Maloney, the CEO of Grubhub, sent out a post-election message essentially telling Trump supporters working at his company to resign. While Maloney stands by his comments, he says they were misconstrued. Well, don't misconstrue my comments: Trump supporters should boycott Grubhub!
   
• Victoria Smith was scheduled to perform the honorary first serve at this weekend's volleyball game at Southern Methodist University. Miss Smith had planned to offer the serve in memory of her father, Sgt. Michael Smith, one of the Dallas police officers killed during the July 7th Black Lives Matter protest. But the university rescinded the invitation fearing her serve could be "deemed insensitive." An email from the university cited "recent events [presumably the election] and diversity within the SMU community."
   
• Rep. Keith Ellison (D-MN), who has ties to Louis Farrakhan, appears to be the front-runner for chairman of the Democrat National Committee. Is a far-left Muslim really the right guy to repair the party's image with Middle America?
   
• Former Labor Secretary Robert Reich is threatening to form a third party if Democrats don't give in to progressive demands.