Throughout our history, when an incumbent president has lost an election, he has conceded gracefully and has done everything in his power to ensure that the incoming administration has the best chance of success. However, when Joe Biden won the presidential election in early November, President Trump demonstrated once again his disdain for tradition – the attacks on this election by the current administration are unprecedented.
Soon after Election Day, it is customary that the head of the General Services Administration (GSA), in this case, Emily Murphy, ascertains the election results, releasing transition resources and thereby initiating the process. Murphy, who many news sources have speculated was under pressure from the Trump administration, prevented President-elect Biden from beginning the transition by withholding her signature for weeks. However, on November 23rd, after facing intense scrutiny from opposition and the media, she finally gave Biden’s transition team the green light.
Within the past month, President Trump and his legal team have pursued every possible legal avenue to have the results of the election overturned, and with minimal success. Trump and his personal attorney, Rudy Giuliani, have alleged nationally coordinated voter fraud; however, no evidence has been produced to support this claim. Since November 3rd, they have lost in courts across the nation, most notably in swing states, nearly sixty times.
Earlier this week, a group of 126 Republican legislators, led by Texas, put together a lawsuit to be heard by the Supreme Court demanding that mail-in ballots be declared unconstitutional in a last-ditch effort to overturn the election. This was ultimately dismissed by all nine Supreme Court justices and likely marks the end of President Trump’s attempts to secure a second term.
In addition to failed litigation obstructing the transition process, many Republican lawmakers have only just recently acknowledged President-elect Biden’s victory in light of the Electoral College meeting this past Monday to affirm the results. Most notably, this includes Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who congratulated President-elect Biden and Vice President-elect Harris for the first time on Wednesday.
In spite of these roadblocks in his path to the presidency, President-elect Biden has tried his best to proceed as normal with the transition, including nominating close advisers and aides to his Cabinet. A full list of his picks so far can be found here.
With weeks of obstructions, lawsuits, and delays behind us, the country can now move forward towards the January 20th final transition. Furthermore, there is cause to celebrate – the measures in place to ensure our democracy came under great pressure and were tested like never before. And, they held.
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