Not solely is Biden being blocked by the State Department from receiving messages and help facilitating and from getting ready for calls, on Tuesday Secretary of State Mike Pompeo refused to acknowledge Biden’s victory, saying that “there will be a smooth transition to a second Trump administration,” igniting a furor and roiling diplomats.
Biden is additionally being blocked from getting the identical intelligence briefings because the President, generally known as the President’s Daily Brief, and may the Trump administration proceed to dam a typical transition near Inauguration Day on January 20, there are issues Biden’s administration will likely be enjoying catch-up the day he takes workplace.
Traditionally, the State Department supports all communications for the President-elect, which is why many countries began sending messages to State over the weekend. But with Biden prohibited from accessing State Department resources by the Trump administration, because President Donald Trump refuses to accept Biden’s victory, dozens of incoming messages have not been received.
Biden’s staff is contacting foreign governments on their very own and he has held numerous calls with leaders, together with Germany’s Angela Merkel and Canada’s Justin Trudeau. But they’re working with out the logistical and translation help that the State Department operations heart supplies.
“They would prefer to be using the State Department resources,” mentioned a supply accustomed to the scenario, who famous that the Biden staff is having to cope with the surprising problem of facilitating these calls.
Foreign leaders have begun to determine that State can not get them in contact with the President-elect and their groups have reached out to former Obama-era diplomats for his or her help on ship congratulatory messages to Biden’s staff, sources instructed CNN. Some foreign governments really feel they’re navigating an unfamiliar maze, foreign diplomats have instructed CNN.
CNN has requested the State Department and the Biden transition staff for remark.
