White House chief of staff Mark Meadows has reportedly instructed administration staff not to work with President-elect Joe Biden’s transition team, despite President Donald Trump ordering the process to begin on Monday evening.
The memo pledges that the White House will “comply with all actions needed to ensure the smooth transfer of power,” but states that White House officials “are not permitted to speak directly with a member of the Biden transition team or the federal transition coordinator,” unless specifically authorized, according to Bloomberg. (RELATED: ‘Do What Needs To Be Done’ — Trump Directs His Administration To Begin The Transition Process With Biden)
The White House did not respond to Daily Caller’s inquiries by press time.
WASHINGTON, DC – OCTOBER 30: White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows listens as President Donald Trump speaks to the press outside the White House on October 30, 2020 in Washington, DC. President Trump will travel to Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota for the campaign rallies ahead of the presidential election on Tuesday. (Photo by Sarah Silbiger/Getty Images)
Meadows was reportedly part of a group of White House officials and outside advisors who convinced Trump to greenlight the transition process earlier on Monday.
Trump thanked General Services Administrator Emily Murphy later Monday evening “for her steadfast dedication and loyalty to our Country” before directing her to work with Biden’s transition team.
“Our case STRONGLY continues, we will keep up the good fight, and I believe we will prevail,” he wrote. “Nevertheless, in the best interest of our Country, I am recommending that Emily and her team do what needs to be done with regard to initial protocols, and have told my team to do the same.” (RELATED: GOP Reportedly Plans To Block Certain Biden Cabinet Picks, Dems May Offer ‘Sacrificial Lamb’)
I want to thank Emily Murphy at GSA for her steadfast dedication and loyalty to our Country. She has been harassed, threatened, and abused – and I do not want to see this happen to her, her family, or employees of GSA. Our case STRONGLY continues, we will keep up the good…
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 23, 2020
…fight, and I believe we will prevail! Nevertheless, in the best interest of our Country, I am recommending that Emily and her team do what needs to be done with regard to initial protocols, and have told my team to do the same.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 23, 2020
He again tweeted that Murphy was “terrific” Tuesday morning but stated that, “the GSA does not determine who the next President of the United States will be.”
Remember, the GSA has been terrific, and Emily Murphy has done a great job, but the GSA does not determine who the next President of the United States will be.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 24, 2020
Biden transition director Yohannes Abraham called the announcement “a needed step to begin tackling the challenges facing our nation, including getting the pandemic under control and our economy back on track.”
“This final decision is a definitive administrative action to formally begin the transition process with federal agencies,” Abraham wrote in a statement. “In the days ahead, transition officials will begin meeting with federal officials to discuss the pandemic response, have a full accounting of our national security interests, and gain complete understanding of the Trump administration’s efforts to hollow out government agencies.”