"Watching the House Burn"… Pelosi Fiercely Criticizes Trump Administration's Refusal to Accept Transition

Acquisition Team Uses Encrypted Apps Over Data Leak Concerns... Trump Vaccine Development Program Kept in the Dark
"Biden Should Also Receive Classified Briefings," Calls for Cooperation from Republicans

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy New York=Correspondent Baek Jong-min] "The house is on fire, but they are not thinking about putting water on it."

U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a member of the Democratic Party, strongly criticized the Donald Trump administration for refusing to provide daily intelligence briefings to President-elect Joe Biden. This reflects the explosion of dissatisfaction with President Trump, who is refusing not only intelligence briefings but all procedures related to the presidential transition.

Given the piled-up issues such as diplomacy and security, the response to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, and economic stimulus bills, it is interpreted that concerns about aftereffects are being raised due to President Trump's refusal to accept the election results, which could affect not only the transition but also the launch of the next administration.

Even within the Republican Party, voices demanding cooperation with President-elect Biden have emerged, especially among those who recognize the seriousness of the situation.

According to CNN on the 12th (local time), Senate Majority Whip John Thune (Republican) said in response to a question about whether President-elect Biden should receive classified briefings, "I think it is reasonable to prepare for all emergencies," adding, "It is important from a national security perspective and for continuity." He argued that the situation should consider that President-elect Biden will be confirmed as president after legal processes such as lawsuits.

Senator Lindsey Graham, a close ally of President Trump, also said "I think so" when asked about Biden's access to briefings, and Senator Chuck Grassley (Republican) responded "My answer is 'yes,' especially regarding classified briefings" to the same question.

In particular, Senator Grassley recalled that the delayed transition due to lawsuits during the 2000 presidential election led to the 9/11 attacks. He said, "Whatever happened in 2000, I will stick to saying we need to do it again."

In 2000, when Republican George W. Bush, then Governor of Texas, and Democratic Vice President Al Gore engaged in a month-long legal battle over Florida's vote count, the Clinton administration initially withheld information from Bush but began briefings at Gore's request. The following year, the 9/11 attacks occurred, and the bipartisan 9/11 report pointed out the lack of security preparedness before the terrorist attacks.

The situation for Biden's transition team is serious. The team includes more than 500 former officials and external experts but is experiencing difficulties communicating with the Trump administration.

According to The New York Times (NYT), the transition team is using encrypted applications like 'Signal' to prevent hostile foreign countries such as China from eavesdropping on their conversations, and they are meeting government officials they have worked with before in external coffee shops. The scope of information the Biden team wants and what government officials can say is limited, so conversations are cautious in every aspect.

In particular, the transition team is concerned that the COVID-19 vaccine supply plan might be obstructed. Biden's advisers do not even fully understand how Operation Warp Speed, the vaccine development program promoted by the Trump administration, works.

According to NBC, more than 150 former senior national security officials submitted a letter to the General Services Administration (GSA) on the same day, stating that Biden needs intelligence briefings. They said, "We must put politics aside in uncertain times," expressing concerns about security instability during the transition period.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.