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A pile of messages from non-U.S. Leaders to President-elect Joe Biden sit at the State Department table, but the Trump administration prevents him from accessing them, according to department officials familiar with the messages, CNN reports.
Traditionally, the State Department supports all communications from the president-elect, which is why many countries have started sending messages to the state over the weekend. But since Biden was unable to access State Department resources due to the Trump administration, due to Donald Trump refusing to accept Biden’s victory, dozens of messages were not received.
Biden’s team is in contact with external governments without the involvement of the State Department and has held several conversations with leaders, including German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. But they operate without the logistical and translation support provided by the State Department’s operations center.
“He prefers to use the resources of the State Department,” said a source familiar with the situation, noting that Biden’s team must handle the unexpected challenge of facilitating these talks.
Not only is the State Department blocking Biden from receiving messages and assistance in preparing for phone calls, but on Tuesday, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo refused to acknowledge Biden’s victory, saying “it will be a transition. no problem to a second Trump administration, “arousing ire and stirring up diplomats.
Biden is also blocked from receiving the same daily information that President Trump receives, and if the current administration continues to block a typical transition around Inauguration Day on January 20, there are concerns that the Biden administration will fall behind that. day. will assume the mandate.
Foreign leaders have begun to realize that the state cannot connect them with the president-elect, and their teams have asked Obama-era diplomats for help in sending congratulatory messages to Biden’s team, sources told CNN. Some foreign governments believe they are navigating an unknown maze, foreign diplomats told CNN.
The conversations that are taking place now are not very sensitive, and even during a seamless transition, they usually take place on secure lines, several sources explained.
Editing: Alexandru Costea
