Yesterday, Trump announced that the presidential transition of power would begin. But he hasn’t yet conceded the election. How does that all work?
Yesterday morning, Trump tweeted this:
What is the GSA and who is Emily Murphy?
The General Services Administration is a part of the U.S. public service that makes sure all government agencies run smoothly - helping with everything from office supplies to government cars. The GSA’s cooperation is essential to a successful transition of power from one President to another. Emily Murphy is the head of the GSA.
Trump’s announcement means that the GSA will begin the formal transition of power.
As a result, incoming President Biden will start receiving classified national security briefings, and his team will be able to start physically moving into the federal agencies in anticipation for the presidential switchover in January.
Does this mean Trump has conceded the election?
No.
In the same tweet that authorised the formal transition of power, Trump said he still believed he would “prevail” in the election. But that’s looking more and more unlikely by the day. His main hopes of a surprise victory - voter recounts in close swing states and improbable court cases - have so far yielded no results.
What’s Biden been up to?
Last week, Biden warned “people may die” if the GSA did not authorise the formal transition of power - mainly because his team wasn’t able to access much of the COVID-19 planning the Trump administration had been working on.
While Biden hasn’t yet commented on Trump’s new tweets, he’s forged on with the transition, announcing several key appointments like Secretary of State and Treasury Secretary.