It would be nice if Donald Trump admitted defeat, President-elect Joe Biden said Tuesday. ‘But it is not vital. I think it’s embarrassing. ‘ He expects the transition to go smoothly and says that steps have already been taken.
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Joe Biden took the floor on Tuesday at a press conference in Wilmington, Delaware. The president-elect did not shy away from the most thorny topic of the moment: that President Donald Trump refuses to admit that he has lost the elections in the US. “To be honest, I find it embarrassing,” he replied to a journalist who broached the subject. ‘It won’t be in favor of his presidential legacy,’ said Biden.
• Boris Johnson has also congratulated Joe Biden. Follow the latest election news from the US here.
The Democrat remains convinced that the transfer of power will go well and is even in the pipeline. “My transition team is already at work,” said Biden. He is therefore also not planning any further legal action to enforce his presidency. Due to the lawsuits brought by President Donald Trump, the United States Government Service (GSA) does not yet recognize Biden’s victory. As a result, Biden’s team is not yet given federal resources, such as office space, to organize the transition. According to Biden, they can also do without their work. A recognition would give the president-elect access to the confidential security briefings. “That would be nice,” admitted Biden, “but that’s not vital at the moment either.”
Republicans are also continuing
Biden also agreed to schedule a meeting with Republican Senate leader Mitch McConnell. McConnel said earlier that he will wait to rule on the election until the electoral college meets next month. According to Biden, Republican party members are “slightly intimidated by President Trump.”
Meanwhile, the Republican camp is also pretending that Trump has won. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Tuesday promised “a smooth transition to a second Trump administration.” In a series of tweets, President Donald Trump has said again that he will win. “We’re making progress,” he said. He thinks he will have results next week.
Priority number one: healthcare
The first priority for the Biden government will be health care. The Supreme Court is currently considering the Affordable Care Act – colloquially ‘Obamacare’. Biden calls it “unnecessarily divisive and cruel” that Republicans seek to overturn the law at a time when the coronavirus has plunged the US into a major health crisis. The president-elect promises to improve and expand the health bill when he starts his term. “Healthcare is a right, not a privilege,” his vice president Kamala Harris stressed.
Biden also said he has already called some world leaders to say the US is “back.” He hopes to be able to introduce a number of members of his government before Thanksgiving (November 26).
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