Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Tuesday promised the world a “smooth transition” after US elections but refused to recognize President-elect Joe Biden’s victory, saying Donald Trump will remain in power.
“There will be a smooth transition to a second Trump administration,” Pompeo said in an at times testy news conference when asked about contacts with the Biden team.
“The world should have every confidence that the transition necessary to make sure that the State Department is functional today… with the president who is in office on January 20 a minute after noon will be successful,” he said, referring to the date of the presidential inauguration.
World leaders including almost all US allies have congratulated Biden, who has achieved unassailable leads in key states as well as a commanding edge in the nationwide popular vote.
But Trump has refused to concede the November 3 election and has alleged massive fraud, calling for recounts and legal action.
Asked if the United States can still issue statements calling for free elections around the world, Pompeo said the question was “ridiculous.”
“This department cares deeply to make sure that elections around the world are safe and secure and free and fair, and my officers risk their lives to ensure that that happens,” he said.
Erdogan’s spokesman said in August that the remarks showed “pure ignorance, arrogance and hypocrisy”.
The Turkish leader did not directly address them in his statement Tuesday.
Meanwhile, Presidents Vladimir Putin of Russia, Xi Jinping of China and Jair Bolsonaro of Brazil have yet to congratulate Biden.
Mike Pompeo: Trump will have a smooth transition to a second term
by The Cable
Mike Pompeo, US secretary of state, says President Donald Trump will have a smooth transition to a second term.
Trump, the incumbent president and candidate of the Republican Party, was defeated by Joe Biden, a former vice-president and candidate of the Democratic Party in the 2020 presidential election.
But Trump has refused to concede, alleging fraud in the electoral process and asking for a recount.
When asked if the state department was engaging with the Biden transition team, Pompeo said they are working to uncover facts that reflected the will of the people in the election.
“We’re counting votes, when the process is complete there’ll be electors selected, there’s a process the constitution lays it out pretty clearly,” he said.
“The world should have every confidence that the transition necessary to make sure that the State Department is functional today, successful today, and successful with the president who’s in office on January 20th.
“And you know it’s ridiculous. And you asked it because it’s ridiculous. You asked a question that is ridiculous, this department cares deeply to make sure elections around the world are safe and secure and free and fair.
“We often encounter situations where it’s not clear about a particular election. We work to uncover facts, we work to do discovery, to learn whether in fact the outcome, the decision that was made reflected the will of the people.
“We want every one of those votes to be counted in the same way we have every expectation every vote here in the United States will be counted too. It is totally appropriate, the United States has an election system that is laid out deeply in our constitution, and we’re going to make sure that we get that right.”
Trump had also insisted that he was winning the election as counting is still ongoing in some states.