President Donald Trump finally authorized his administration to begin the transition process with President-elect Joe Biden’s team.
Donald Trump communicated through a twitter, as he often does, on Monday, November 23 to authorize the start of the transition. “… in the best interest of our country, I recommend to Emily and her team to do what needs to be done regarding the initial protocols, and I told my team to do the same,” wrote the losing U.S. president on his Twitter account.
Emily Murphy, the head of the General Administration Services (GSA) sent a letter to Joe Biden on the start of the transition. The president-elect’s team now has access to funds and national security information.
“Today I am announcing the first members of my national security and foreign policy team. They will rally the world to meet our challenges like no other-challenges that no nation can meet alone. It is time to restore American leadership. I trust this group to do that,” Democratic President Biden tweeted.
He has just appointed Anthony Blinken as his Secretary of State. A seasoned diplomat, he has the added advantage of being fluent in French. He did part of his studies in Paris.
Antony Blinken, Assistant Secretary of State under President Barack Obama, has in the past spoken out in favour of US military interventions in the name of human rights. This strong commitment to human rights certainly owes much to his father-in-law, Samuel Pisar, one of the youngest Holocaust survivors.
National Intelligence, Avril Haines. She has served as Deputy National Security Advisor at the White House and Deputy Director of the CIA. She was the first woman to hold both positions. And the first woman to take control of intelligence in the United States.
The authorization of the launch of the transition is an important step in breaking the deadlock. However, Donald Trump does not yet explicitly acknowledge Joe Biden’s victory. He promises to continue his fight. “And I think we’re going to win,” he says.
Gérard Rugambwa
