Last Updated on November 23, 2020
Despite previous announcements that the General Services Administration would not begin the presidential transition process until the election were confirmed to be free of fraud, President Donald Trump announced that he has given the GSA permission to begin the “initial protocols” even as he continues to fight widespread election fraud in court, citing threats and harassment received by the GSA.
“I want to thank Emily Murphy at GSA for her steadfast dedication and loyalty to our Country,” wrote President Trump. “She has been harassed, threatened, and abused – and I do not want to see this happen to her, her family, or employees of GSA.”
…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
President Trump then noted that his case “STRONGLY continues,” and that he believes “we will prevail,” but will allow the GSA to “do what needs to be done with regard to initial protocols,” and has instructed his team to do the same.
The GSA previously claimed it would not begin the transition process as “an ascertainment has not yet been made” about the winner of the 2020 election. National File reported:
“An ascertainment has not yet been made. GSA and its administrator will continue to abide by, and fulfill, all requirements under the law,” a spokesman with the GSA told reporters, adding that GSA administrator, Emily Murphy, will only execute a transition of power when a “clear winner is clear based on the process laid out in the Constitution.”
“The Administrator’s ascertainment is done for the purposes of making services provided by the Presidential Transition Act available,” the spokesperson continued in a statement. “Until an ascertainment is made, the statute allows for the Biden Transition Team to continue to receive the pre-elect services from the government (e.g., limited office space, computers, background investigations for security clearances). GSA has met all statutory requirements under the PTA for this election cycle and will continue to do so.”
President Trump’s legal team, now ledge by former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, is continuing its court battles, and recently succesfully appealed its Pennsylvania lawsuit to the circuit court.
Trump-adjacent attorney Sidney Powell has also pledged to bring an independent case against Dominion Voting Systems and Smartmatic.
