Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell committed to an “orderly transition” from President Trump to President-elect Joe Biden’s administration.
When speaking with reporters on Tuesday, the Republican leader was asked why Trump-appointed General Services Administration Administrator Emily Murphy hasn’t issued a letter of “ascertainment,” which recognizes the likely winner of the election and begins the transition process between administrations.
“We’re going to have an orderly transfer from this administration to the next one,” McConnell said. “What we all say about it is, frankly, irrelevant.”
He added that lawsuits regarding the results of the election need to be settled, but that “all of this will happen right on time, and we’ll swear in the next administration on Jan. 20.”
During a global security forum that aired on Monday, Trump national security adviser Robert O’Brien also promised a smooth transition.
“Look, if the Biden-Harris ticket is determined to be the winner — and obviously things look that way now — we’ll have a very professional transition from the National Security Council,” he said, adding that the Biden team is “going to have very professional folks who are coming in to take these positions, many of whom have been here before and spent a lot of time in the White House in prior administrations. And the great thing in the United States of America, we’ve passed the baton and had peaceful, successful transitions even in the most contentious periods.”
O’Brien continued, “I’m old enough to remember Bush v. Gore, and the transition there didn’t start until mid-December. And yet, it got done. And if we’re in a situation where we’re not going into a Trump second term, which I think people where I’m sitting in the White House would like to see, if it’s another outcome, it will be a professional transition. There’s no question about it.”
Biden has announced multiple members of his incoming White House over the past few days, including his chief of staff Ron Klain.
Despite the staff building moves, Trump has refused to concede the election. The Trump campaign is contesting the results in a number of battleground states, and it has filed a litany of lawsuits to overturn the vote, although most have not amounted to much.
Trump has repeatedly cast doubt on the results of the election, implying accusations of voter fraud. “The Radical Left Democrats, working with their partner, the Fake News Media, are trying to STEAL this Election. We won’t let them!” Trump tweeted Monday.
