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U.S. NEWS Friday 13 November 2020
Biden moves forward without help from Trump's intel team

By DEB RIECHMANN charge.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The "President-elect Joe Biden
White House race was in and his transition team
limbo in 2000 when outgo- should not suffer a similar
ing President Bill Clinton delay," John Podesta, who
decided to let then-Gov. served as White House
George W. Bush read the chief of staff under Clinton,
ultra-secret daily brief of and Bush's chief of staff An-
the nation's most sensitive drew Card wrote this week
intelligence. in The Washington Post.
Clinton was a Democrat "We have since learned the
and his vice president, Al serious costs of a delayed
Gore, was running against transition," they wrote. "Less
Republican Bush. Gore had than eight months after
been reading the Presi- Bush's inauguration, two
dent's Daily Brief for eight planes flew into the World
years; Clinton decided to Trade Center, killing nearly
bring Bush into the fold in 3,000 Americans."
case he won — and he did. The 9/11 Commission Re-
President Donald Trump port on the Sept. 11, 2001,
has not followed Clinton's attacks warns of the dan-
lead. As Trump contests President-elect Joe Biden speaks at The Queen theater, Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2020, in Wilmington, ger in slow-walking presi-
this year's election results, Del. dential transition work in
Trump has not authorized Associated Press general, not just the intel-
President-elect Joe Biden ligence piece. The Bush
to lay eyes on the brief. That's the type of informa- essary. I'm not the sitting that actual task," Lankford administration didn't have
National security and intelli- tion that might be in the president now," Biden said told KRMG in Tulsa, Okla- its deputy Cabinet officers
gence experts hope Trump daily summary of high-lev- Tuesday. He didn't answer homa, on Wednesday. in place until the spring of
changes his mind, citing el, classified information a question about whether He said Vice President- 2001 and critical subcabi-
the need for an incoming and analysis on national he'd tried to reach out to elect Kamala Harris also net positions were not con-
president to be fully pre- security issues that's been Trump himself on this or any should be getting the brief- firmed until that summer —
pared to confront any na- offered to presidents since other issue, saying only, "Mr. ings, which should not be if then, the report said.
tional security issues on Day 1946. It is coordinated and President, I look forward to a problem because she For now, the office of Na-
One. delivered by the Office of speaking with you." already has security clear- tional Intelligence Director
"Our adversaries aren't the National Intelligence He was also asked about ances as a member of the John Ratcliffe says it can't
waiting for the transition Director with input from the needing access to classi- Senate intelligence com- begin talking with the Biden
to take place," says for- CIA and other agencies. It is fied information as soon as mittee. transition team until a fed-
mer Michigan Republican tailored for each president, possible if Trump doesn't While the Bush team had eral agency starts the pro-
Rep. Mike Rogers, who was depending on whether the concede the race. access to the intelligence cess of transition, which the
chairman of the House president prefers oral or "Look, access to classified brief in 2000, an election Trump administration is de-
Intelligence Committee. written briefs or both, short information is useful. But I'm recount delayed the Bush laying.
"Joe Biden should receive summaries or long reports not in a position to make team's access to govern- The office, which oversees
the President's Daily Brief on paper or electronically. any decisions on those is- ment agencies and re- more than a dozen U.S. in-
starting today. He needs Having access to it also sues anyway," Biden said. sources for more than five telligence agencies, said it
to know what the latest could help Biden craft a "As I said, one president at weeks. Biden is missing out must follow the Presidential
threats are and begin to possible response to North a time. He will be president on all counts: More than Transition Act, which re-
plan accordingly. This isn't Korea, which has a history until Jan. 20. It would be a week into his transition, quires the General Services
about politics. This is about of firing off missiles or con- nice to have it, but it's not Biden doesn't have access Administration to first ascer-
national security." ducting nuclear tests short- critical." to the PDB, the agencies or tain the winner of the elec-
U.S. adversaries can take ly before or after a new Biden is familiar with the government resources to tion, which Trump is con-
advantage of the country president takes office. PDB, having read it during help him get ready to take testing. q
during an American presi- Biden, a former vice presi- his eight years as vice presi-
dential transition and key dent, has decades of ex- dent. But threats are ever-
foreign issues will be bear- perience in foreign affairs changing and as Inaugura-
ing down on Biden the mo- and national security. But tion Day nears, his need for
ment he steps into the Oval he probably has not been Trump to let him get eyes
Office in January. privy to the latest details on the intelligence brief will
For example, unless Trump about how Iran is back to become more critical.
extends or negotiates a enriching uranium or the Sen. James Lankford, R-Ok-
new nuclear arms accord active cyber attack opera- la., predicted that the issue
with Russia before Inaugu- tions of Russia, China and of whether Biden will get
ration Day, Biden will have Iran. China's crackdown on access to the intelligence
only 16 days to act before Hong Kong is heating up. brief will be resolved soon.
the expiration of the last The threat from Islamic ex- "I've already started en-
remaining treaty reining in tremists, although curbed, gaging in this area. ... And
the world's two largest nu- still remains. if that's not occurring by Fri-
clear arsenals. Perhaps U.S. Biden is trying to play down day, I will step in and push
spies have picked up tidbits the significance of the de- and say this needs to occur
about the Russians' red lines lay in getting access to the so that regardless of the
in the negotiations or about PDB. outcome of the election,
weapons it really wants to "Obviously the PDB would whichever way that it goes,
keep out of the treaty. be useful but, it's not nec- people can be ready for