Joe Biden is claiming that “more people may die” from the novel coronavirus pandemic if President Donald Trump does not cooperate with the White House transition process.
The former vice president, who has been declared the victor of the 2020 contest by multiple media outlets, was asked during a press conference on Monday in Wilmington, Delaware what the “biggest threat” to the transition process was given Trump’s “unprecedented attempt to obstruct and delay a smooth transfer of power.”
“More people may die if we don’t coordinate,” Biden responded, adding that any delay in the information-sharing process could impact the ability of the federal government to properly respond to the virus next year, and distribute vaccines.
“If we have to wait until January 20 to start that planning, it puts us behind, over a month and a half, it’s important we have coordination now,” the former vice president said.
Biden’s remarks come as a dispute has emerged over the results of the presidential election. Trump and his allies claim that Biden’s media-declared victory is improper given that the former vice president only has marginal leads in several prime swing states. For instance in Arizona, which was called for the Democrat ticket on Election Night, Biden’s lead has diminished to less than 11,000 votes.
Similarly, Biden holds narrow leads over Trump in Georgia, Wisconsin, Nevada, and Pennsylvania. In all of those states, which are central to the former vice president’s pathway to hit the required 270 Electoral College votes needed for victory, allegations of electoral irregularities have emerged. As such, the Trump campaign has filed legal challenges to the preliminary results from each state.
Given the electoral irregularities and ongoing litigation, the General Services Administration has not yet officially recognized Biden as the winner of the 2020 contests. The agency acknowledgment is required for the formal transition process to commence.
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