Trump faces calls to work with Biden team on transition

President Donald Trump is facing pressure to cooperate with President-elect Joe Biden's team to ensure a smooth transfer of power when new administration takes office in January.

General Services Administration is tasked with formally recognizing Biden as president-elect, which begins transition. But ncy's Trump-appointed administrator, Emily Murphy, has t started process and has given guidance on when she will do so.

That lack of clarity is fueling questions about wher Trump, who has t publicly recognized Biden's victory and has falsely claimed election was stolen, will impede Democrats as y try to establish a government.

re is little precedent in modern era of a president erecting such hurdles for his successor. stakes are especially high this year because Biden will take office amid a raging pandemic, which will require a comprehensive government response.

“America’s national security and ecomic interests depend on federal government signaling clearly and swiftly that United States government will respect will of American people and eng in a smooth and peaceful transfer of power,” Jen Psaki, a Biden transition aide, tweeted Sunday.

advisory board of npartisan Center for Presidential Transition also urged Trump administration to "immediately begin post-election transition process and Biden team to take full advant of resources available under Presidential Transition Act.”

Biden, who was elected 46th president on Saturday, is taking steps to build a government despite questions about wher Trump will offer traditional assistance.

He is focusing first on virus, which has already killed nearly 240,000 Americans. Biden will anunce details on Monday of a task force that will create a blueprint to attempt to bring pandemic under control that he plans to begin implementing after assuming presidency on Jan. 20.

Biden has already named a former surgeon general, Dr. Vivek Murthy, and an ex-Food and Drug Administration commissioner, David Kessler, as co-chairs.

Biden was also launching ncy review teams, groups of transition staffers that have access to key ncies in current administration. y will collect and review information such as budgetary and staffing decisions, pending regulations and or work in progress from current Trump administration staff at departments to help Biden’s team prepare to transition.

But that process can't begin in full until GSA recognizes Biden as president-elect. definition of what constitutes a clear election winner for GSA is legally murky, making next steps unclear, especially in short term.

GSA's leadership is supposed to act independently and in a npartisan manner, and at least some elements of federal government already have begun implementing transition plans. Aviation officials, for instance, have restricted air over Biden's lakefront home in Wilmington, Delaware, while Secret Service has begun using nts from its presidential protective detail for president-elect and his family.

re were or signs that some leaders were preparing for a new administration.

Biden aides said president-elect and transition team had been in touch with Republican lawmakers. Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, one of Trump’s closest allies, opened a Cabinet meeting on Sunday by congratulating Biden, a former vice president and longtime senator.

“I have a long and warm personal connection with Joe Biden for nearly 40 years, and I kw him as a great friend of state of Israel,” Netanyahu said.

George W. Bush, only living Republican former president, called Biden “a good man, who has won his opportunity to lead and unify our country.”

But or Republicans, including Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, urged Trump to continue pursuing legal challenges related to election, making a bumpy transition more likely.

Biden started his first full day as president-elect on Sunday by attending church at St. Joseph on Brandywine near his home in Wilmington, as he does nearly every week. After service, he visited church cemetery where several family members have been laid to rest, including his son Beau.

He orwise spent most of day inside his home while some of his staff spent hours on a conference call focused on transition planning.

Those plans also may hinge on two Senate races in Georgia that have advanced to a Jan. 5 ruff. If Republicans hold those seats, y'll likely retain Senate majority and be in a position to slow confirmation of Biden's top Cabinet choices and complicate his legislative goals, including sweeping calls for expanding access to health care and bolstering post-pandemic ecomy with green jobs and infrastructure designed to combat climate change.

That could test Biden's campaign pledge to move past divisiveness of Trump era and govern in a bipartisan manner.

During his victory speech on Saturday, he vowed to be a president who “seeks t to divide, but unify” and appealed to Trump supporters to “give each or a chance.”

Those close to Biden say he will navigate period ahead by harnessing his sense of empathy that became a trademark of his campaign. Biden often spoke of pain he experienced following death of his wife and young daughter in a 1972 car crash, and Beau's 2015 death due to brain cancer.

“My bror kws how to feel,” said Valerie Biden Owens, Biden's sister and longtime top adviser. "Joe’s strength has been resilience and recovery and that’s what we need as a country.”