Pompeo: 'Smooth transition' to Trump or Biden

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Tuesday that the U.S. will have a "smooth transition" to whoever is the winner of the presidential race, whether it is President Donald Trump or President-elect Joe Biden.

"We're reminding everyone that all the votes haven't been counted.  We need to make sure the legal process is fully complied with," Pompeo told Fox News Channel's Special Report with Bret Baier on Tuesday.

"We will make sure that whoever is in office on noon on January 20th has all the tools readily available so that we don't skip a beat with the capacity to keep Americans safe," he added.

Pompeo had raised concerns earlier on Tuesday when he told reporters - with a grin - that “there will be a smooth transition to a second Trump administration.”

Pompeo's remarks implying that Trump might yet be reelected were striking, coming at a tense moment for the nation as Trump refuses to concede to President-elect Joe Biden.

Baeir asked Pompeo if it was appropriate for world leaders to be calling Biden to offer congratulations.

Pompeo responded that "if they're just saying hi, I suppose that's not too terribly difficult," but added that the U.S. has "one president, one secretary of state, one national security team at a time."