Trump blocks transition as he refuses to accept loss

President Donald Trump

 President Donald Trump implied that he would continue contesting election results for at least another week, forestalling for days the required steps to transition government to President-elect Joe Biden and signaling to his administration that any moves toward a hand-off are on hold.

Trump's refusal to concede has prompted senior officials across the government to spread word that any cooperation with Biden's team is forbidden, officials at agencies and the White House said. The President's budget office is continuing to advise agencies to prepare submissions for Trump's upcoming budget proposal as if nothing is changing, people familiar with the plans said.

The White House, while offering little formal or explicit guidance, has nonetheless made known throughout the federal government that no steps should be taken that would imply Trump lost the election, according to people familiar with the matter.

The nation's top diplomat, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, refused to accept Biden's victory as President-elect during remarks at the State Department.

Instead, he said there would be "a smooth transition to a second Trump administration."

President Trump

"The world should have every confidence that the transition necessary to make sure that the State Department is functional today, successful today and successful with a president who's in office on January 20 a minute after noon will also be successful," he said at a midday briefing.

The reluctance to begin the formal transition process has prompted increasing concern among Biden's team, who said Monday evening they were mulling legal steps to force the process that would allow them access to federal money and information.

Biden himself, however, shrugged off the delay as more of an inconvenience than a major hurdle in his efforts to assume power.

"I don't see a need for legal action, quite frankly," he said at a news conference in Delaware, where he has been holding meetings and speaking with foreign leaders, adding he believes he can get through the transition without federal funding.

Far from appearing angered by the situation, Biden offered only mild annoyance.

"I just think it's an embarrassment, quite frankly," he said of Trump's refusal to admit defeat. "I say this tactfully: I think it will not help the President's legacy."

At issue is the official step of "ascertainment," a formal determination by the General Services Administration that Biden won the election. That would unfreeze more than $6 million in funding and allow agencies across the federal government -- including those responsible for providing highly classified briefings -- to begin working with Biden's teams.

Senior officials at federal agencies have determined their transition plans cannot proceed until that step is taken, according to people familiar with the matter. That means the thick briefing binders prepared by officials before the election are sitting unopened and office space reserved for Biden's incoming team is dark and vacant while Trump continues to insist his loss isn't real.