Former Vice President Joe Biden brushed off President Donald Trump’s ongoing legal challenges to the result of the November 3rd election Tuesday, saying Trump’s actions are “not of much consequence.”
Biden made the comments while answering questions after delivering a speech on the Affordable Care Act on Tuesday. The Associated Press, Fox News and numerous other outlets called the election for Biden on Saturday, a determination Trump has rejected. The Trump campaign has ongoing litigation in several remaining battleground states and some states are likely headed toward automatic recounts.
Reporters asked Biden about Trump’s refusal to accept the media’s call, and he responded that Trump’s actions are ineffective and likely only to harm the president’s legacy.
Biden says Trump failure to recognize his victory is “an embarrassment, quite frankly,” predicts it will harm Trump legacy
— Zeke Miller (@ZekeJMiller) November 10, 2020
The Trump administration is withholding top-secret intelligence briefings from Biden as the legal challenges play out, according to NBC News. The briefings are a traditional courtesy offered to incoming presidents. Biden’s transition effort also lacks the traditional federal funding, though Biden says the lack of taxpayer funds won’t cause any problems.
Reporters also asked Biden whether his campaign planned to sue the Trump administration to secure either the intelligence briefings or the funding, which Biden said wasn’t necessary. (RELATED: REPORT: Trump Planning To Open PAC To Maintain Influence In GOP)
“I don’t see a need for legal action, quite frankly,” Biden says, on whether his team will push the Trump administration to recognize him as the rightful president-elect
— Kathryn Watson (@kathrynw5) November 10, 2020
Biden’s comments came hours after Secretary of State Mike Pompeo asserted to reporters that the U.S. will have “a peaceful transition to a second Trump administration” Tuesday. Trump isn’t currently leading in any battleground states and his prospects for winning the election are worse than grim.