The US Presidency 2020

[dapaterson]

Well that was predictably and unnecessarily churlish.

In the coming weeks watch for presidential direction to not cooperate with transition preparation efforts...

Already happening...  The head of the General Services Administration, a Trump appointee, is refusing to support transition efforts.

https://people.com/politics/a-government-official-is-holding-up-the-trump-biden-transition-process/

 

[Remius]

Trump is certainly cementing his legacy. 

 

[Good2Golf]

Well, in consideration of the legal process and in light of Trump contesting the results and choosing not to offer a concession to Biden (which is not at all, a requirement at this point), the vote is not considered certified until the States have submitted their respective results of each state's share of the Electoral College and the College submits its cumulative votes to the US Senate and the US Archivist...by the first Monday after the second Wednesday of December (Dec 14 this year), so the GSA Administrator isn’t necessarily wrong at this point.

:2c:

Regards
G2G

 

[OceanBonfire]

The President has fired his Defense Secretary.


Perhaps the start of a purge?

The others on the chopping block:

...

The ouster of Defense Secretary Mark Esper was expected by some aides to be the first of several firings by Trump, now freed from having to face voters again and angry at those in his administration perceived to be insufficiently loyal. Others believed to be vulnerable: FBI Director Christopher Wray, CIA head Gina Haspel and infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci.

...


https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-donald-trump-virus-outbreak-elections-voting-fraud-and-irregularities-2d39186996f69de245e59c966d4d140f

 

[brihard]

Well, in consideration of the legal process and in light of Trump contesting the results and choosing not to offer a concession to Biden (which is not at all, a requirement at this point), the vote is not considered certified until the States have submitted their respective results of each state's share of the Electoral College and the College submits its cumulative votes to the US Senate and the US Archivist...by the first Monday after the second Wednesday of December (Dec 14 this year), so the GSA Administrator isn’t necessarily wrong at this point.

:2c:

Regards
G2G

The law doesn’t require a certified result.

"The terms "President-elect" and "Vice-President-elect" as used in this Act shall mean such persons as are the apparent successful candidates for the office of President and Vice President, respectively, as ascertained by the Administrator following the general elections held to determine the electors of President and Vice President in accordance with title 3, United States Code, sections 1 and 2. "

PL 88-277

Use of the term ‘apparently successful’ clearly envisions a degree of certainty well short of that gained by certified votes. The administrator is definitely empowered to make a call on this in the interest of a timely transition.

 

[Good2Golf]

The law doesn’t require a certified result.
PL 88-277

Use of the term ‘apparently successful’ clearly envisions a degree of certainty well short of that gained by certified votes. The administrator is definitely empowered to make a call on this in the interest of a timely transition.

Thanks for the reference Brihard, to clarify that the Administrator does not need the State assignment of Electors before he/she can commence assisting the (apparent) President-Elect and Vice President-Elect.

Regards
G2G

 

[Blackadder1916]

And the GSA's 2020 Presidential Transition Directory
https://www.gsa.gov/governmentwide-initiatives/presidential-transition-directory



And for comparison the same for 2016, compliments of the internet archives
https://presidentialtransition.usa.gov/

 

[Journeyman]

https://army.ca/forums/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=131695.0;attach=63992;image

Sure, Chris Miller isn't even eligible to be Defense Secretary, since US law states that no one may "be appointed as Secretary of Defense within 7 years after relief from active duty as a commissioned officer of a regular component of an armed force." [10 USC 113]  Miller got out of the army in 2014.

Mind you, Miller has been the fifth National Counter-Terrorism Center Director during Trump's Presidency, so both legality and continuity are meaningless.

 

[Bruce Monkhouse]

Locking this too......lets worry about Canada for a week or so folks.