The exits of Gov. Chris Christie, R-N.J., and Mike Rogers from the Donald Trump transition team are "encouraging" signs the new administration will not hesitate "to get rid of the power structure and replace it," political analyst Dick Morris told Newsmax TV.
The removals also illustrate "an important signal:" "The president-elect is going to use [Vice President-elect Mike] Pence as kind of his assistant president," Morris, author of "Armegeddon," said Wednesday on "The Steve Malzberg Show."
"The other element that's even more encouraging" is he is really not hesitant to get rid of the power structure and replace it," Morris said, pointing to Pence's removal of former congressman Rogers, whose presence he called "pernicious."
"Rogers was the chairman of the House Intel Committee . . . and Rogers opposed the appointment of a special committee to investigate Benghazi," he said, noting, however, the special committee on Benghazi "was the only way we knew to find out about Hillary's secret server. It was a response to subpoenas from that committee as well as from Judicial Watch and Citizens United that we learned about her secret server."
"And then Rogers opposed the select committee," he added.
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Morris called Rogers' exit "a bold statement by Trump that 'I'm not going to play the game as usual, I am going to drain the swamp' and by Pence that 'I'm going to go after fellow Republicans who have been complicit with this administration.'"
Morris also predicted the new president would be able to effectively declaw so-called sanctuary cities that protect illegal immigrants who have been convicted of crimes – both by getting a list of convicted criminals due for release, and then apprehending them on that date, and by withholding federal funds to police departments in those sanctuary cities.
"So one way or another, I bet on Trump getting his way," Morris said.
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