Who was the president of the us in 2024 in charge of vetting
Executive summary
In 2024 the officeholder who led vetting for presidential appointees and running-mate searches depended on which campaign or administration was in question: President Joe Biden’s team and Vice President Kamala Harris’s campaign used internal counsel and outside firms (e.g., Dana Remus and Covington & Burling) to run vetting for Democratic tickets, while former President Donald Trump’s campaign and transition repeatedly conducted its own vetting and sought materials from potential picks — Trump requested vetting files from multiple possible running-mates and later, as president, negotiated FBI vetting for Cabinet nominees [1] [2] [3] [4].
1. Who “was in charge” depends on the context: campaign, transition or White House
Campaigns, transition teams and the White House each run vetting at different stages. Campaigns vet running-mate contenders (examples: Harris’s campaign used Dana Remus and law firm help; Trump’s campaign requested vetting materials from multiple vice-presidential prospects) [1] [2]. Transition teams and the incoming White House then take broader responsibility for cabinet and senior appointments, typically through the Office of Presidential Personnel and White House Counsel [4] [5]. Available sources do not mention a single individual being universally “in charge of vetting” for all of 2024 across both parties; oversight varied by role and stage [4] [2] [1].
2. The Democratic side: Harris-Biden ticket used named lawyers and firms to run vetting
Reporting and background documents indicate Vice President Kamala Harris’s running-mate selection process enlisted established vetters: Dana Remus (former White House counsel) and law firms such as Covington & Burling participated in vetting the Harris ticket’s vice-presidential possibilities [1]. Media coverage describes an intensive and often intrusive review — financial records, social media, and other private material — overseen by campaign counsel and outside vetting teams [6] [7].
3. The Republican side: Trump’s campaign and later administration directed vetting on its terms
Donald Trump’s 2024 campaign actively sought vetting materials from more than a half-dozen potential vice-presidential picks as it narrowed options, demonstrating the campaign itself led that particular vetting effort [2]. After the election, reporting shows Trump delayed but eventually agreed to let the FBI vet some Cabinet nominees, underscoring that presidential control over vetting procedures — and even use of the FBI — is political and negotiable [3].
4. Formal vetting mechanisms remain institutional even as political actors choose how to use them
Legal and policy advisories explain that formal vetting involves nomination by the president, background checks (often with FBI participation), completion of forms like the SF-86 for clearances, and Senate confirmation where required; but administrations vary how strictly they apply these tools and whether they rely on outside firms [8] [9] [5]. Analysts warned that the first Trump administration had a more flexible threshold for abandoning nominees based on vetting findings, and advisors expected subsequent administrations to set their own standards [8] [10].
5. Competing perspectives: transparency, speed and political calculation
Legal advisories and news outlets present competing framings. Law-firm primers stress that careful vetting reduces surprises and recommend outside counsel to mitigate risks [8] [4]. Journalists reported campaigns seeking rapid vetting to meet political calendars — for example, Trump’s push to pick a running mate before the convention — which pressures thoroughness [2] [11]. The BBC and Politico flagged tensions over whether to use FBI background checks versus private vetters, noting that presidents or president‑elects can choose different approaches [9] [3].
6. What the sources do and do not say about a single 2024 “president in charge of vetting”
Available reporting names specific actors who led vetting in particular cases (e.g., Dana Remus and Covington & Burling for Harris; Trump’s campaign staff for his VP search) and describes institutional players (White House Counsel, Office of Presidential Personnel, FBI) in the process [1] [2] [5]. Available sources do not name a single individual who, for all of 2024, was the definitive national “president in charge of vetting”; instead they show vetting responsibility shifting among campaigns, transition teams and the sitting or incoming president’s offices [4] [3].
Limitations and bottom line: sources reviewed cover campaign vetting, transition procedures and post-election disputes over FBI involvement but do not provide a single blanket answer naming one person “in charge” of all vetting in 2024; responsibility depended on whether the activity was a campaign vice‑presidential search, a transition appointment vetting, or White House personnel clearance [2] [4] [3].