On Nov. 23, three weeks after the 2020 presidential election, President Donald Trump announced that he was recommending that the General Service Administration, the department overseeing all other federal departments, began the transition of power with the Biden administration.

The 2020 election garnered record-breaking crowds, despite the complications of a global pandemic. According to ABC News, the election amassed more than 157 million votes, with President-Elect Joe Biden receiving the electoral college and the popular vote. Biden is set to be inaugurated on Jan. 20 of the new year.

After being declared the winner on Nov. 7, President-Elect Biden began choosing who would be joining him in the White House and be on his Covid relief advisory. During the three weeks separating Nov. 7 and Nov. 23, the Biden transition team was not given secretary clearance or the ability to talk and receive information from the Trump administration. “Usually, the concession begins right after the election, with the president giving the president-elect a tour of the White House and introducing their families to each other. President Trump, however, did no such thing,” junior Rebecca McMillen said.

According to national security experts, Trump’s lack of acknowledgment of the election results put the country in place of vulnerability. Without the GSA certification, Biden was unable to receive vital security briefings.

Emily Murphy, the GSA administrator, announced the department’s certification of the election in a letter to the president-elect. Her letter was followed up by a tweet from the president informing the country that his court cases against voter fraud in battleground states remained strong, but the initial transition protocol had begun.

The president appointed Murphy in 2017. She received pressure from Biden supporters to recognize the election outcome after failing to do so after media outlets called it.

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Although the General Service Administration, or the GSA, does not declare the winner of the election, the department holds a prominent role in ensuring a peaceful transfer of power. “During a Presidential transition, GSA will prepare to provide support to the eligible candidates, President-elect and Vice-President-elect,” the GSA said.

Since authorizing the GSA to begin the transition, Trump has continued to move forward with his lawsuits over alleged voter fraud in attempts to get the election overturned. The legal team for the president has lost at least 40 court cases in crucial battleground states. Trump has taken to Twitter to reassure his supporters of his electoral victories. “No candidate has ever won both Florida and Ohio and lost. I won them both, by a lot,” President Trump said falsely in a tweet on Dec. 9.

In addition to the president’s legal battles, Texas has requested the Supreme Court to overturn Biden’s victory in Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin and declare Trump the winner. Seventeen states have joined Texas’s lawsuit. The lawsuit was initially filed by Texas’s attorney general, Ken Paxton, who is currently under investigation by the FBI. On Dec. 11 the Supreme Court throughout their suit.

On Dec. 14 the electoral college voted and Biden received the necessary 270 electoral votes. The Senate and House of Representatives will confirm the results on Jan 6. While Trump is not obligated to deliver a speech conceding, it has become the precedent for elections. At this juncture there is no longer a legal basis for disputing the results, and Trump will have to leave the White House when Biden is inaugurated.