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Donald Trump continues to run his presidential transition like a Miss Universe contest: lots of smiles and pageantry for the camera, but ultimately, a shallow exercise in showmanship. And one that changes little, if anything at all. It's just Trump's doing what Trump does best: kicking up a storm of publicity and tantalizing possibilities that distract his audience from the administration he's building.

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And he knows just how to spin out a sideshow or two to keep the masses occupied, instead of allowing the audience's gaze to linger too long on the more nefarious aspects of the first steps of his administration.

Conjurer of spectacle

Over the past few days, the president-elect has made the front porch of his Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, New Jersey his stage, parading apparent candidate after candidate for his cabinet in front of the media, all while saying remarkably little of substance.

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The giant wooden door at the front of the clubhouse might as well be a revolving door, based on the number of candidates who've come and gone in recent days, all with very, very little progress being made in the building of the cabinet.

But Trump has managed to make that door the source of so much attention and speculation, media and viewers alike wondering who—WHO?!?—would be the next to stroll through it. It's the same drama he created by holing up in Trump Tower in the days after the election, creating such fervor that C-SPAN shared a live camera feed of the building's lobby.

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While refusing to let anyone get a peek behind the curtain, Trump made sure that the attention was always focused on him.

'Sound and fury, signifying nothing'

As for the cabinet candidates, Trump has turned them into contestants, objects of speculation and judgement who are forced to make a brief photo-op with the president-elect by their side while the cameras snap away and reporters jot down notes: "Could this be the pick for Secretary of State? What about the Defense Department?"

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Like pageant contestants in the talent competition, media run down the qualifications of every person that walks through that door. A former mayor, a brand new congressman, a retired general: what tricks can each of them pull of to convince the president-elect they're worthy of a spot in the White House?

Both friends and foe have visited Trump. Rudy Giuliani, one of Trump's most aggressive and outspoken surrogates on the campaign trail, was spotted there, posing for photos on the porch.

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Rudy Giuliani (left) and Donald Trump (right)Credit: Peter Foley/picture-alliance/dpa/AP Images

And much was made about the visit paid by Mitt Romney, an adversary of Trump's during the election cycle but now a surprise candidate for Secretary of State, according to reports.

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Even Chris Christie, long rumored to be on the outs with Trump's inner circle, made a visit. The wide range of invitees, including Trump's former Hollywood agent Ari Emanuel and Democratic congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard, has kept people guessing. It's also been read as a sign Trump is willing to mend fences and create a coalition cabinet.

And, yet, for all the talk of cooperation with those he's battled with in the past, the cabinet positions that havebeen announced have all gone to staunch Trump supporters from his campaign, including Steve Bannon, Jeff Sessions, Gen. Mike Flynn, and Reince Priebus.

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Read another way: white nationalist old white guy, Confederate flag-loving old white guy, conspiracy theorist old white guy, and establishment old white guy.

In other words, the Trump status quo.

Glitz, glamour, goading

Like a pageant contestant who reallyhopes they can nail that flute solo in the talent competition to make up for their Q & A flub, Trump is relying on noise and misdirection to keep us distracted from the process and what it brings.

If it weren't for the troubling backgrounds of the appointees he's already announced, his ability to dress up the process as a public extravaganza that he's still managed to shroud in secrecy would be impressive.

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While candidates jockey for position, strolling across the stage for the judges, beaming smiles and waving, Trump is making a public show of what has, traditionally, been a more private process. The president-elect doesn't owe anyone transparency in making his picks but by dressing the process up in glitter, he's attracting the attention he wants without having to reveal more than he wants.

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And while Trump hasn't actually been any later than previous presidents to start naming cabinet positions, his refusal to speak publicly is a departure from the norm. We're two weeks removed from Trump's upset victory over Hillary Clinton in the presidential election and yet the president-elect has yet to hold a public press conference on the transition as past president-elects have.

But there hasn't been much on that because he's done such a good job spinning off other controversies. Whether it's continuing his attack on the media, complaining about Saturday Night Live, or starting a feud with a Broadway musical, Trump has manufactured a song-and-dance routine that keeps the attention on him.

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He's the pageant host, whisking the contestants off stage and keeping us from focusing too hard on the actual process, shining all that glitter in our eyes until, when the lights finally go off, we finally realize it was all spectacle and no substance.

TopicsDonald Trump