The Turbulent Transfer of Power

A line from Joe Biden’s victory speech stood out to me. He said, of the United States, “We must not only lead by the example of our power but the power of our example.” That quote for me underscores America’s responsibility as a global power. It is not solely about military and economic might; they must also represent, with integrity, what development and stability may look like for countries who aspire towards similar goals.

The last four years under a Donald Trump presidency has seen some deviation from those norms and values. However, the next four years will hopefully look differently. On November 7th, Joe Biden was declared the winner of the state of Pennsylvania. He won with it, 20 electoral college votes. These 20 votes when added to the 259 he had amassed between November 3rd and then, pushed him over the 270 mark to 279. This win saw him being declared the winner of the presidency and ultimately President-elect of the United States.

Later that night, he made a riveting speech that addressed the COVID-19 pandemic primarily and touched on issues of race, equality, and unity. He pledged to be the President for all Americans and not just those who had voted for him. I felt inspired. It was presidential.

But one person who was certainly not impressed was his defeated rival, Donald Trump. Trump for many days following the announcement of Biden’s victory, refused to concede. Trump insists that there was widespread voter fraud that resulted in his loss. The President has since filed multiple lawsuits in the battleground states that he lost. Trump continues to mount legal challenges and request re-counts in Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin. He has been unsuccessful in his attempts as judges have been unable to identify any substantive evidence of electoral fraud. His main argument is that Republican poll watchers were not allowed to observe the counting process. A claim that has been proven wrong several times. Not only has Trump mobilised his legal team, but his supporters have also come out in droves protesting the results of the election.

His casting of doubt on the electoral process has impacted the transition period that usually ensues after a President-elect is named. The process typically starts with a meeting between the outgoing President and the President-elect. In 2016, Barack Obama met with Trump, two days after he was declared the winner. So far, Trump and Biden have yet to meet.

The General Services Administration (GSA) is responsible for overseeing the peaceful transition of power. The GSA Administrator, Emily Murphy, was appointed by Donald Trump. So, it was not difficult to connect the dots when she delayed in her recognition of Joe Biden as the President-elect resulting in the overall delay of the process.

This situation did not daunt the Biden-Harris team as they started crowdsourcing to raise money to finance the transfer of power. The campaign had raised around US$ 10 million when I had last checked. However, on November 27th, more than two weeks after Biden’s victory, the GSA finally began the presidential transition process. This late start has left Biden and Harris with only 57 days to prepare to form the new government.

Now, the electoral college meets on December 14th, and this is one of the final hurdles left for Biden to overcome. And while electors generally vote along the state lines established in the elections, the possibility exists that electors may depart from the norm. As a result, participants and observers of the process are not entirely out of the woods.

A smooth transition of power is essential to the strength of the American government. Outgoing Presidents briefing incoming Presidents on the state of the country and its affairs is not only a tradition but a show of peace and respect for the country’s democracy. One can only hope that that the start to Biden’s tenure as 46th president of the United States does not suffer because of the turbulent transfer of power.