Name: A new document sent to congressional watchdogs shows how Trump is preparing to hand over the US government if he loses to Biden
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A new document sent to congressional watchdogs shows how Trump is preparing to hand over the US government if he loses to Biden

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An icon in the shape of a person's head and shoulders. It often indicates a user profile.Redeem nowPresident Donald Trump has floated the idea of delaying the November election due to the ongoing pandemic, and powerful Democrats like Nancy Pelosi have raised concern the Republican wouldn't leave the White House if he loses to Joe Biden.But Trump administration officials behind the scenes are quietly preparing to hand over the executive branch in the event that the president loses reelection, according to a new document sent this week to congressional watchdogs.Thesent to key House and Senate committees on Monday — required by law — shows that administration officials have been meeting for months to discuss transition plans as federal agencies beef up their own staffing to do background checks for a new president-elect's team, if needed.&nbsp;In July, for example, the White House Transition Coordinating Council — chaired by Trump's chief of staff, Mark Meadows — even held a meeting to brief its members on the transition activities.&nbsp;Elsewhere, officials from the intelligence community are preparing to provide classified briefings to the president-elect, vice-president elect and their transition teams, if Trump is ousted. And the FBI is hiring more people to help with background investigations, according to the seven-page document.&nbsp;Biden has also been under Secret Service protection since March 17, the document said, and federal agencies are already planning security for the 2021 presidential inauguration.&nbsp;"They're doing a good job," David Marchick, director of the Center for Presidential Transition at the good-government advocacy group, the Partnership for Public Service, said of the Trump administration.&nbsp;There's "a lot going on for transition planning and they seem to be taking implementation of the law very seriously, which is all positive," Marchick added. The stakes are high, he said: "Literally the continuity of government is at stake."Biden's transition team — led by Biden confidant Ted Kaufman — could move into federal office space at the Department of Commerce's downtown Washington headquarters by Sept. 1. The government will provide the Democratic nominee's team with a secure IT network, office supplies, teleworking software and office security.This week's report is the second official transition document the Trump team has sent to Congress this year. Mary Gibert, the federal transition coordinator, sent in May. Both reports were sent to the leaders of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform and the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.&nbsp;New York Democratic Rep. Carolyn Maloney, chair of the House Committee on Oversight and Reform, said of the latest report, "There are career officials in the General Services Administration and other agencies who are working hard to ensure the presidential transition goes smoothly and keeps the government running after the election in November."&nbsp;But the Trump administration, she told Insider in a statement, "so far has not provided many details on its plans for the transition. I am concerned specifically about whether the White House is taking appropriate steps to preserve the records of President Trump, Vice President Pence, and senior White House aides and to transfer those records to the National Archives and Records Administration."Sign up for notifications from Insider! Stay up to date with what you want to know.Subscribe to push notificationsAn icon in the shape of a lightning bolt.Keep readingIt indicates an expandable section or menu, or sometimes previous / next navigation options.An icon in the shape of a lightning bolt.For you

An icon in the shape of a person's head and shoulders. It often indicates a user profile.Redeem nowPresident Donald Trump has floated the idea of delaying the November election due to the ongoing pandemic, and powerful Democrats like Nancy Pelosi have raised concern the Republican wouldn't leave the White House if he loses to Joe Biden.But Trump administration officials behind the scenes are quietly preparing to hand over the executive branch in the event that the president loses reelection, according to a new document sent this week to congressional watchdogs.Thesent to key House and...

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Robin Bravender

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A new document sent to congressional watchdogs shows how Trump is preparing to hand over the US government if he loses to Biden

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