The GSA (General Services Administration) has informed President-elect Joe Biden and his team that the outgoing Trump administration will start the transition process. This confirmation from the agency comes more than two weeks after the Democrat won the 2020 presidential election to become president-elect.
Biden received a letter from GSA Administrator Emily Murphy, a Trump appointee, on Monday saying he would be able to access federal resources, as well as services for a smooth presidential transition. The Hill obtained a copy of this letter.
Taking to his Twitter accounts, Trump confirmed that he had asked his administration to initiate the transition. Despite allowing the transition to occur, Trump said he would not stop fighting and refused to concede.
In his first tweet, the president thanked Murphy for her loyalty and steadfast dedication to the United States. He went on to say that she was harassed, threatened, and abused, and he doesn't want that to happen to her, her family, or other GSA employees.
In the second tweet, Trump said they would continue the good fight, noting that he believes they will prevail. In America's best interest, Trump wrote, he is recommending Murphy and her team to do what the initial protocols suggest. He concluded the tweet by noting that he has told his team to do the same.
This is a noteworthy shift for Trump, who has repeatedly raised questions regarding the reliability of mail-in ballots and refused to concede after Biden was projected as the winner of the presidential election. Murphy has been under a lot of pressure to ascertain Biden as the winner, freeing up millions of dollars in federal resources, and allowing his team access to government agencies for a smoother transition.
Biden and other Democrats have raised concerns regarding the delayed transition, claiming it not only threatens national security but also affects the new administration’s ability to stop the still raging coronavirus pandemic from spreading.
Murphy wrote a letter saying that the Presidential Transition Act of 1963 allows her to make some post-election services and resources available to help in the event of a presidential transition. In her letter, Murphy said she takes this role seriously, adding that she is making the aforesaid resources and services available to Biden in the wake of legal challenges and delayed certifications of election results.
Murphy also confirmed that she is not making this decision under pressure from any Executive Branch official. She admitted that she received threats to her own and her family's safety.