NBC News: We feel like crying because Trump is already the President

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President-elect Donald Trump's running commentary on sensitive foreign policy issues before taking office is ruffling feathers, with critics complaining he's violating a longstanding tradition of deference to the incumbent White House during transitions

Incoming leaders have typically abided by a "one president at a time" rule in order to avoid sending mixed messages and to give themselves time to consult intelligence and confer with their incoming cabinet and inherited civil service.

"It's confusing," Stephen Hess, a policy analyst at Brookings who has worked under presidents from both parties, said. "The president-elect doesn't really have the power to do these things and, while suggesting them at this time, it may look very different to him after January 20."

Congressman Jared Huffman (D-CA) told NBC News he was so alarmed by Trump's behavior that he introduced the "One President at a Time Act" earlier this month, which would clarify that the Logan Act, which prohibits private citizens from conducting foreign policy, also applies to incoming presidents.

"In the past, president-elects have shown good judgement and restraint in understanding that our duly elected officials need to conduct foreign policy while they're in office," Huffman said. "We've never had a president-elect with such impulse control problems."

"Only the President has the authority to conduct foreign policy on behalf of the United States, and there needs to be absolute clarity about his positions and the policies of the US," Tommy Vietor, who served as Obama's national security spokesman, said in an e-mail. "If there's ambiguity, an adversary can use it to gain leverage on us and it creates general confusion and uncertainty among our allies."