Associated Press/Andrew Harnik
- President-elect Joe Biden’s team could lose out on key information that they would need to obtain before he formally takes office if Trump continues to not recognize him as president-elect.
- Trump has repeatedly refused to concede the election.
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President Donald Trump’s refusal to acknowledge President-elect Joe Biden’s victory in the 2020 election could mean Biden loses out on several important benefits of the transition of power including critical national security information, The New York Times reported.
On one front, Biden’s team needs Trump’s formal recognition to be able to be granted access to classified information. The decision to recognize Biden’s win falls on the head of the General Services Administration, Emily Murphy, a Trump appointee who so far has not acknowledged it.
Beyond disrupting how prepared a Biden administration is to lead the country after inauguration day, Trump’s refusal to acknowledge Biden as the president-elect could mean there are gaps or shortages in his security detail, The Times reported.
Additionally, since at least 1968, presidents-elect were granted access to presidential daily briefings. Trump can prevent Biden’s team from receiving the latest secrets and best intelligence insights for the entire transition period. While there’s no law that says Biden’s team has to receive them, past presidents have granted access to the incoming president.
Trump has refused to acknowledge Biden as the winner of the election and repeatedly made false claims of efforts to "steal" the election. It's still not clear if and when he plans to concede but he has brought forth lawsuits in multiple states to dispute the results of the vote.
On Friday, Decision Desk HQ and Insider first called Biden the winner of the 2020 election after he surpassed the necessary 270 electoral votes needed to win, flipping key battleground states like Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, and Michigan.
Biden has already begun working on getting a team assembled and made consideration for filling key cabinet seats. His team already announced a 13 member COVID-19 advisory board.