Biden urges shared virus effort
Trump complains about election result
President- elect Joe Biden urged Americans on the eve of Thanksgiving to recommit to fighting the coronavirus, not one another, and to take it upon themselves to make decisions that can save lives.
In a somber and at times pleading speech, Biden reflected on other times in history that Americans have suffered, on the pain felt by the families of the more than 260,000 people who have been killed by the virus, on the sacrifices many Americans are making by scaling back or canceling their holiday plans and on the additional deaths that will undoubtedly come in the months ahead.
He urged Americans to take “simple steps” like wearing a mask, limiting the size of gatherings and socially distancing from others.
“This is the moment where we need to steel our spines,” Biden said from a stage in Wilmington, Del. “Redouble our efforts and recommit ourselves to the fight.”
He later added: “Hang on. Don't let yourself surrender to the fatigue, which I understand — it is real fa
tigue. I know we can and we will beat this virus. America is not going to lose this war. We'll get our lives back. Life is going to return to normal, I promise you.”
As Biden called on Americans to come together, President Donald Trump spent the day tweeting a steady stream of grievances and baseless accusations, twice scream- tweeting: “RIGGED ELECTION!” The president made no mention of the pandemic, which has killed more than 260,000 under his watch, offered no suggestions to Americans conflicted about how to celebrate Thanksgiving safely and publicly expressed no gratitude.
Just before Biden began speaking in Wilmington, Del., Trump called the cellphone of his attorney Jenna Ellis, who was at a news conference about voter fraud in Pennsylvania. As she put him on speakerphone, he continued to unleash his grievances over the sometimes scratchy line.
“This election was lost by the Democrats,” Trump said, falsely. “They cheated.”
Earlier in the day, Trump's aides hastily canceled a trip to that event. The president had planned to helicopter there for a news conference featuring his attorney Rudy Giuliani to again allege widespread voter fraud, despite not having yet provided any evidence. Trump was angry, several advisers said, at the perception he had given up the election fight after allowing the transition to begin.
The travel plan caught Trump's advisers by surprise, including campaign attorney Justin Clark, RNC chairwoman Ronna McDaniel and many others close to the president, three officials said. Efforts were made to talk him out of the trip, but he continued to say it would be a good idea to appear with Giuliani and continue fighting the election results.
At the event, Giuliani appeared without a mask, even though he had been in close contact with campaign adviser Boris Epshteyn, who tested positive after appearing last week at the RNC with Giuliani.
Much of the White House was empty on Wednesday morning, and several advisers said they were no longer paying attention to Trump's antics. RNC lawyers are distancing themselves from the Giuliani efforts, officials said, and the campaign has stopped holding morning calls to talk about how to talk to the country about Giuliani's fights.
Biden's team, as it has for days, continued to beef up a transition that only began officially on Monday evening, when the General Services Administration finally notified federal agencies they could cooperate with the Biden team.
“The election is over. Virtually everyone on Earth has accepted that truth, except for Donald Trump and Rudy Giuliani,” said Kate Bedingfield, a spokeswoman for the Biden-Harris transition team. “The Trump campaign has been laughed out of every courtroom with their meritless and baseless lawsuits meant to undermine the will of the American people. This is a sideshow.”
Bedingfield said that the Biden-Harris transition team has been quickly making up for lost time since Monday night when GSA administrator Emily Murphy gave the go-ahead, ending a three-week delay.
She and Jen Psaki, another spokeswoman, provided a laundry list of logistical accomplishments, refreshingly boring compared to parade of attacks, boastful claims and context-lacking assertions often uttered by Trump administration officials.
Since Monday night, the Biden-Harris transition team has made contact or met with more than 50 major federal agencies and commissions, and held more than 30 virtual briefings, Bedingfield said. She praised civil servants assisting with the transition from the Trump administration for being “professional and welcoming” and for beginning to prepare for this moment weeks ago, despite Trump's attempts to stall. She thanked them for clearing their schedules and, at in-person meetings, offering coffee and meals.
Biden is now receiving classified information and expects to start in- person security briefings next week, the aides said. The process of background checks for political appointees has begun, and some members of the transition team have begun to receive government-issued laptops.
Next week, Biden plans to announce some members of his economic team. Biden has already picked economist Janet Yellen to be U. S. treasury secretary. When asked when Biden would name a health secretary, given the pandemic, Psaki said that “it is front and center on the top of the mind” of Biden, Harris and other officials, but declined to provide a time frame. More appointments are expected in the weeks to come, although the spokeswomen would not say in which areas.
“Buckle up for December,” Psaki said.
Despite Trump's efforts, Bedingfield and Psaki both said they were confident that, so far, Biden has access to the information and resources needed for a smooth transition.
Biden still has not spoken with Trump, which Bedingfield said is not necessary.