Senator Lamar Alexander on Friday called on the Trump administration to begin providing Joe Biden with presidential briefings and other transition resources, although he stopped short of calling Biden the president-elect.
“If there is any chance whatsoever that Joe Biden will be the next president, and it looks like he has a very good chance, the Trump Administration should provide the Biden team with all transition materials, resources, and meetings necessary to ensure a smooth transition so that both sides are ready on day one,” Alexander said in a statement Friday morning.
The Tennessee Republican added that it is not unprecedented to have vote recounts and resolve election disputes, saying these steps reassure the American public that the election was valid.
“My hope is that the loser of this presidential election will follow Al Gore’s example, put the country first, congratulate the winner and help him to a good beginning of the new term,” Alexander said. “The prompt and orderly transfer or reaffirmation of immense power after a presidential election is the most enduring symbol of our democracy.”
Gore conceded the 2000 presidential election to George W. Bush on December 13 of that year, 36 days after Election Day. In his concession speech, he said that, “for the sake of our unity as a people and the strength of our democracy, I offer my concession.”
Trump has so far refused to concede and has claimed that he won the election, alleging that a large number of mail ballots this year gave rise to widespread voter fraud. His campaign’s legal team, led by Rudy Giuliani, has launched a plethora of legal challenges in battleground states vital to his reelection, several of which have already been thrown out by judges.
The administration has also rebuffed the former vice president’s transition team attempts to begin the transfer of power, which includes releasing millions of dollars and providing access to federal agencies and office space in Washington.
Biden has also said he is not receiving the daily classified briefing on security threats that a president-elect is typically given. Republican Senator James Lankford of Oklahoma said last week that he would “step in” if Biden were not provided the briefings by Friday, but backtracked over the weekend after that deadline was not met, saying he was in “no hurry” for Biden to receive the briefings.
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