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Joe Biden, the president-elect of the United States, complained Monday that his national security team has run into “roadblocks” and “roadblocks” from the Pentagon’s political leadership.
The criticism came after the defense department earlier this month suddenly suspended briefings with Biden’s transition team and with Donald Trump still seeking to reverse his electoral defeat.
“From some agencies, our team received exemplary cooperation,” Biden said in Wilmington, Delaware, after a briefing from his foreign policy advisers. “From others, especially from the Department of Defense, we encountered obstacles from the political leadership of that department.”
Both the defense department and the Office of Management and Budget erected “barricades,” he added. “Right now we are simply not getting all the information we need from the outgoing administration in key areas of national security. In my opinion, it’s nothing short of irresponsibility. “
The president-elect, who will take office on January 20, warned that his team needs “full visibility” of the budget process at the Pentagon “to avoid any window of confusion or update that our adversaries may try to exploit.”
The comments were the latest sign of Biden’s increased willingness to remove his gloves by condemning Trump’s reluctance to engage in a swift and orderly transition. The current president has not yet invited his successor to the White House or confirmed his attendance at the inauguration, as is traditional.
Trump fired his defense secretary Mark Esper after the November 3 election, replacing him with Christopher Miller as an actor.
Earlier this month, Biden’s team complained of an abrupt halt in Pentagon cooperation. The defense department claimed that the meetings had been postponed until January due to a “mutually agreed” break, but the transition team insisted there is no such agreement.
The team also said it had encountered resistance to requests for information from some Pentagon officials. But a senior defense official told the Reuters news agency that the Pentagon had conducted 163 interviews and 181 requests for information and would continue to provide information and meetings.
Trump has refused to acknowledge Biden’s victory, citing widespread electoral fraud for which there is no evidence and suffering dozens of defeats in court. His administration only authorized cooperation with Biden on November 23.
Trump has promised to take a final stand on January 6 when Congress meets to certify the electoral college results. Jenna Ellis, member of your legal team, tweeted Monday: “President Trump should never concede an election.”
Biden was briefed on Monday by his nominees for secretary of state, defense and national security, as well as his incoming national security adviser. He said his team found that agencies “critical to our security have suffered enormous damage” during Trump’s tenure.
“Many of them have been drained of personnel, capacity and morale. There are policy processes that have been stunted or marginalized by the deterioration of our alliances. It makes it harder for our government to protect the American people. “
Biden’s foreign policy team has been described as a return to the experience, expertise and era of Barack Obama, with Tony Blinken nominated for secretary of state, Jake Sullivan as national security adviser and John Kerry in a new role as special presidential envoy for climate. Lloyd Austin is facing a confirmation battle as Defense Secretary because he is a retired general, potentially undermining the principle of civilian control of the military.
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