Reports of brain drain as Washington begins transition to Trump presidency A huge job swap is underway in Washington DC as Congress, the Pentagon and the offices of state prepare for […]

A huge job swap is underway in Washington DC as Congress, the Pentagon and the offices of state prepare for Donald Trump’s presidency.

Mr Trump and his senior team have begun the herculean task of picking a cabinet and hundreds of appointees to senior roles in sensitive policy areas including defence.

His team is expected to meet national security officials next week.

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However, reports are emerging suggesting his election could spark a damaging brain drain, with experienced security advisors apparently preparing to quit their jobs in the belief Mr Trump is unfit to be Commander in Chief.

Potential new recruits are meanwhile said to be turning down overtures from the Pentagon because of Mr Trump’s embrace of Russian President Vladimir Putin, his rejection of NATO and his laissez faire attitude to nuclear proliferation, magazine Foreign Policy reported.

Mr Trump was rudely dismissive of the defence establishment on the campaign trail – something that is unlikely to endear him to the military’s top brass.

He claimed at one point that he knew more about defeating Islamic State than the army generals, whom he accused of having been “reduced to rubble” by Barack Obama.

Dozens of former Republican defence officials wrote an open letter earlier this year warning that electing Mr Trump would place America’s national security in peril.

The President-elect also appears to be on a collision course with House Speaker Paul Ryan, the de facto leader of the Republicans on Capitol Hill.

The pair are at odds on several issues including free trade.

While Mr Trump is seen as isolationist, Mr Ryan is a strong supporter of continued American military engagement around the world.

Mr Ryan, who is more socially conservative than Mr Trump, distanced himself from the reality TV star turned politician earlier this year, saying he would not campaign for him after his lewd remarks about women were made public. He later reversed his decision.

Paradoxically given his apparent unwillingness for America to get involved in foreign conflicts, Mr Trump has voiced support for expanding the United States’ military.

Stocks belonging to makers of ships, fighter jets, tanks and armoured vehicles were all up following Mr Trump’s victory, and analysts are now predicting a military arms build-up similar to the 1980s under Ronald Reagan, arms industry website Defence One reported.

Max Stier, the head of Partnership for Public Service, an outside group that has been working with Mr Trump’s campaign on transition planning since the summer, yesterday warned that there was still “a long way to go” to ensure positions were filled in time for his presidential inauguration in 10 weeks time.

The tycoon is said to have given little thought to transition planning during his campaign.

Mr Stier said: “It’s imperative to have the right people brought in fast and they’re prepared.”

He described the transition period as “a point of maximum vulnerability” for the US.

On Thursday Mr Trump toured Congress and the White House and pledged to “move very strongly on immigration”.

As president-elect, Trump is entitled to get the same daily intelligence briefing as President Barack Obama – one that includes information on covert operations, information gleaned about world leaders and other data gathered by America’s 17 intelligence agencies.