Trump Officials Are Still Slowing Transition, Biden Team Says

(Bloomberg) -- Some departments of the Trump administration are still withholding cooperation from President-elect Joe Biden’s team despite President Donald Trump’s recent pledge of “an orderly transition,” incoming White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said Friday.

With the transfer of power less than two weeks away, Psaki said the transition team was encountering “intransigence” in the Department of Defense and Office of Management and Budget, as well as “other places that we’ve had ongoing concern.”

“There’s still more we desire in terms of participation and cooperation, especially at a time when we’re looking at coming into office in just 12 days,” Psaki said at a news conference.

Trump, who had refused to accept Biden’s victory, appeared to do so after crowds of supporters he had encouraged to march on the Capitol went on a rampage. Five people, including a U.S. Capitol Police officer, died in the episode.

“Even though I totally disagree with the outcome of the election, and the facts bear me out, nevertheless there will be an orderly transition on Jan. 20th,” Trump said in a statement posted on Twitter by his aide Dan Scavino early Thursday morning. A video the next day had a similar message.

Psaki said the Biden team was still eager to work with Trump administration officials, and pointed to the president-elect welcoming Vice President Mike Pence to his inauguration.

“We hope those continue to increase in the days ahead,” Psaki said of calls with outgoing officials.

Biden has previously complained that the OMB and national security agencies were preventing a smooth transition, calling their actions “obstruction” with national security consequences.

An OMB official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the agency had complied with all of the Biden team’s requests.

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