President Trump on Monday said the General Services Administration should “do what needs to be done” in starting the transition process to President-elect Joe Biden’s administration — an abrupt signal of cooperation even as he vowed to “keep up the good fight.”
“Our case STRONGLY continues, we will keep up the good fight, and I believe we will prevail!” Trump, who has refused to concede, wrote across two tweets Monday evening. “Nevertheless, in the best interest of our Country, I am recommending that Emily and her team do what needs to be done with regard to initial protocols, and have told my team to do the same.”
Emily Murphy, administrator of the General Services Administration, signed off on Biden as the “apparent winner” of the presidential election on Monday, citing “recent developments involving legal challenges and certifications of election results.”
The move allows the Democrat and his transition team access to the federal funds and resources they have been lacking for weeks. It also allows them to start coordinating with Trump administration officials, particularly on the coronavirus pandemic.
“Today’s decision is a needed step to begin tackling the challenges facing our nation,” Biden transition team executive director Yohannes Abraham said in a statement. “In the days ahead, transition officials will begin meeting with federal officials to discuss the pandemic response, have a full accounting of our national security interests, and gain complete understanding of the Trump administration’s efforts to hollow out government agencies.”
Trump’s seeming acceptance of the transition came shortly after the Michigan Board of Canvassers certified its election results showing a Biden win — delivering yet another blow to Trump’s attempts to challenge the outcome of the presidential race.
Pressure had been mounting on Murphy and the GSA — including from a growing number of Republicans — to make the formal “ascertainment” of Biden’s victory needed for his team to start coordinating with federal agencies.
“Please know that I came to my decision independently, based on the law and available facts,” Murphy wrote in a letter to Biden. “I was never directly or indirectly pressured by any Executive Branch official — including those who work at the White House or GSA — with regard to the substance or timing of my decision.”
Trump thanked Murphy for her “steadfast dedication and loyalty to our Country,” in a tweet, saying she had been “harassed, threatened, and abused — and I do not want to see this happen to her, her family, or employees of GSA.”
Herald wire services contributed to this report.
___
(c)2020 the Boston Herald
Visit the Boston Herald at www.bostonherald.com
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
—-
This content is published through a licensing agreement with Acquire Media using its NewsEdge technology.
Recent Comments