General Service Administration has declared President-elect Joe Biden the apparent winner of the U.S. election, paving the way for a formal transition to begin after weeks of Donald Trump’s administration.
The GSA said on Monday it had found that Biden had won the Nov. 3 race after Trump had refused for weeks to admit and violated the traditions of the White House transition.
Trump said on Twitter that he had directed his team to work together on the transition, but vowed to continue fighting the election results, despite no evidence of widespread voter fraud. Hours later, he said, “He will never give in to false votes and ‘Dominion.'”
GSA chief Emily Murphy said she made her decision on the basis of “law” and “facts”.
“Please note that I made my own decision based on the decision and the facts available. There has never been any direct or indirect pressure from any executive, including those working in the White House or the GSA on the content or timing of my decision, ”Murphy wrote in a letter to Biden.
Murphy faced increasing pressure from Democrats and some Republicans to allow the transition to begin, as Trump’s efforts to challenge the results of the battlefield states failed.
A Pennsylvania federal judge on Saturday tossed up Trump’s campaign lawsuit aimed at preventing certification in that state. And on Monday, Michigan confirmed Biden’s victory, despite the president making an unprecedented attempt last week to undermine that move, allowing the vote to be controlled in Wayne County, where Biden won by more than 330,000 votes.
GSA certification is a process that takes place in typical election years without enthusiasm or controversy shortly after the major news outlets call for competition.
Murphy, when he refused to declare Biden victorious weeks after the election, prevented Biden and Kamala Harris, elected vice president’s interim team, from accessing federal resources and meeting with government officials to prepare for the January 20 inauguration.
The delay was amid a significantly worsening pandemic and economic crisis, particularly due to urgent, unprecedented tasks facing the federal government. The United States should also begin preparations for the nationwide introduction of Covid-19 vaccines. There were also serious concerns about the possible national security consequences of the postponed transition, which prevented Biden from accessing the classified information.
After Murphy’s letter was made public, Trump tweeted, “We’re going to continue the good fight and I think we’re going to make it happen! Nevertheless, in the interest of our country, I suggest that Emily and her team do what they need to do about the initial protocols, and my team was told to do the same. “
Trump’s legal team rejected the rating as “simply a procedural step” and insisted it would fight.
Yohannes Abraham, executive director of Biden’s Transition, said in a statement Monday that the GSA’s move is “a necessary step to begin addressing the challenges facing our nation, including keeping the pandemic under control and putting our economy on track”.
He added: “In the coming days, interim officials will begin discussions with federal officials to discuss the response to the pandemic, fully account for our national security interests, and gain a full understanding of the Trump government’s efforts to evacuate government agencies.”
After the GSA allowed the official transition to begin, more Republicans began to acknowledge the reality that Biden had been elected president.
“President Trump’s legal team has not provided evidence of the massive fraud that should have been present to overthrow the election.” said Bill Cassidy, Louisiana Republican Senator. “I voted for President Trump, but Joe Biden won.”
A majority of GOP senators have refused to recognize Biden’s victory, arguing that Trump should be allowed to pursue his cases in court, despite no evidence of widespread fraud that would change the outcome of the race. Ever since the Associated Press and other news organizations across the country declared Biden the winner on Nov. 7, five days after the polls ended, Trump and his allies continue to spread misinformation and unfounded conspiracy theories to undermine the legitimacy of postal voting. and falsely claiming that the election was “stolen”.
However, the inspections, recountings, and Trump campaign court cases did not result in substantial changes in the election results, and in some cases Biden’s leadership only increased. The judges were briefed on the Trump campaign team’s affairs on several occasions.
But false allegations of fraud have prompted some election officials to delay the verification of the vote. The Philadelphia city commissioner’s office, where the countdown lasted for days, faced death threats, and Trump’s supporters staged protests in the U.S. in front of election offices.
Murphy’s letter arrived the same day Biden announced that he would select a number of key roles in the cabinet. The president-elect said he would nominate Tony Blinken as secretary of state, Jake Sullivan as national security adviser, and John Kerry as “climate tsar,” proposing a return to Obama-era priorities.
Biden also elected Alejandro Mayorkas as Secretary of Homeland Security. If confirmed, he will be the first Latin and migrant to hold this position. He also elected Avril Hains as the first female director of national intelligence and Janet Yellent as the country’s first female treasury secretary.
