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WASHINGTON (AFP, REUTERS) – US President Donald Trump said on Monday (November 23) that he no longer opposes government aid for Joe Biden’s transition team in his closest statement yet. to finally admit that he lost the US election.
Trump’s tweet that the General Services Administration (GSA) should “do what needs to be done” came after the agency’s director, Emily Murphy, said she was releasing long-delayed assistance.
The GSA, an independent agency, informed Mr. Biden, a Democrat, that his transition, which leads to an inauguration on January 20, could officially begin.
The GSA move means that Biden’s team will now have federal funding and an official office to transition over the next two months.
It also paves the way for Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris to receive periodic reports on national security that Trump also receives.
Trump has spent the past three weeks since the Nov. 3 election claiming without any evidence that Biden’s convincing victory was the result of fraud.
Murphy, who denies acting under political pressure, has so far refused to deliver the standard aid package his agency administers to Biden’s incoming team.
Biden’s team welcomed the decision and said in a statement that it will provide the incoming administration with “the resources and support necessary to carry out a smooth and peaceful transfer of power.”
“Today’s decision is a necessary step to begin to address the challenges facing our nation, including controlling the pandemic and recovering our economy. This final decision is a final administrative action to formally begin the transition process with the federal agencies “.
The decision frees up millions of dollars in funding to support the transition, and also formally allows Biden to coordinate with current government officials.
Murphy, who had faced harsh criticism for his earlier refusal to act, said in his letter to Mr. Biden obtained by various US media outlets that “contrary to media reports and innuendo, my decision was not made out of fear or favoritism. “.
The passage of his GSA is usually routine after a US presidential election, but Trump’s continued efforts to overturn the ballot results and refusal to concede have complicated the process.
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