Donald Trump’s White House Is Allegedly Refusing To Sign A Document Required To Begin Transition

Donald Trump’s White House is refusing to sign a letter that would allow Joe Biden’s transition team to begin formally beginning its move into power, The Washington Post reported.

According to the publication, the refusal stems from the administrator of the General Services Administration, Emily Murphy. The report noted that Murphy had yet to hand over the document nearly 36 hours even after all major media outlets projected Biden to win.

“And the Trump administration, in keeping with the president’s failure to concede the election, has no immediate plans to sign one. This could lead to the first transition delay in modern history, except in 2000, when the Supreme Court decided a recount dispute between Al Gore and George W. Bush in December,” the report read.

Pamela Pennington, a spokeswoman for GSA, claims that the stall stems from the fact that an “ascertainment has not yet been made,” referring to the fact that the Democrat has yet to formally be announced the winner as states continue to count mail-in ballots.

One senior administration official spoke to The Washington Post anonymously and said that no one is willing to step in front of Trump — who continues to claim that he is the winner of the election — on transition issues.

A Biden transition spokesman addressed the issue in an email.

“America’s national security and economic interests depend on the federal government signaling clearly and swiftly that the United States government will respect the will of the American people and engage in a smooth and peaceful transfer of power.”

Once the transition begins, the president-elect and his team can start getting preliminary security clearances and conducting FBI background checks on potential cabinet nominees that require confirmation from the Senate.

Max Stier, president and chief executive of the nonpartisan Partnership for Public Service, which oversees a presidential transition center, claims that the process is “fundamental” to ensuring that the next team is ready to work from inauguration day and on.

Despite Trump’s defiance, pressure continues to mount as his electoral prospects appear grim. As The Inquisitr reported, ABC’s Jon Karl told This Week anchor George Stephanopoulos on Sunday that Trump’s inner circle, including his family members, have accepted that the race is over. Notably, members of the first family, including first lady Melania Trump, have allegedly attempted to convince the president to relinquish power gracefully and preserve his political capital.

According to Karl, Trump’s wife has tried to point to his potential future in the Republican Party.