A former senior adviser to President Obama defended President-elect Trump's transition operation on Thursday by saying the incoming Republican leader and his staff are moving at the same pace as Obama and his team in 2008 when he was tasked with putting together a government.

"Lots of reasons to be concerned about [Donald Trump's] transition but the pace of announcements isn't one of them," David Axelrod, who worked as a chief strategist for Obama's presidential campaigns, wrote on Twitter.

"That's not a fair shot," he added.

Lots of reasons to be concerned about @realDonaldTrump transition but the pace of announcements isn't one of them. That's not a fair shot. — David Axelrod (@davidaxelrod) November 17, 2016



Axelrod noted that Obama's transition team "hadn't made any major appointments at this point in 2008" and he doesn't "remember being criticized for it."

So far, Trump and his team have only announced two appointments to his administration, White House chief-of-staff and senior adviser. But Trump has been conducting dozens of meetings each day with potential Cabinet members and others rumored to be under consideration for key posts in the new administration.

Two Trump aides told reporters Wednesday evening that transition staffers have been busy putting together landing teams — or groups who will work with various federal agencies to prepare for the Trump administration.



Trump's transition operation was described by the media as being in a state of disarray earlier this week after some staffers were fired and several Obama administration officials confirmed they had not been contacted by the president-elect's team.

"Veterans of Washington's transition rituals said Mr. Trump seemed to be further behind," the New York Times reported Wednesday.

But just like Axelrod, Vice President Joe Biden downplayed such reports after he met with Vice President-elect Pence and his wife, Karen, on Wednesday.

"No administration is ready on day one. We weren't ready on day one," Biden told reporters gathered outside the vice presidential residence. "But I'm confident on day one, everything will be in good hands."