In a Saturday op-ed for The New York Times , former national security adviser Susan Rice argued that President Donald Trump’s refusal to cooperate with the incoming administration poses a threat to the United States.
Democrat Joe Biden was projected the winner of the 2020 presidential election last week, but Trump has not yet conceded the race. This has stalled the transition process, potentially exposing American institutions to grave dangers.
In her column, Rice explained that she participated in three presidential transitions. In 2000, when George W. Bush beat Al Gore. In 2008, when Barack Obama took office, and in 2016, after Trump beat former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
Clinton, Bush and Obama administrations, Rice wrote, all made sure to accommodate their successors and provide them with the necessary briefings.
Four years ago, Rice recalled, Obama held a meeting with Trump, and she met with General Michael Flynn, briefing him on the most critical matters. However, Trump officials were ordered not to meet with their predecessors, which made the process far more difficult than it should have been, she added.
Now, as each day goes by, “the risks increase,” Rice wrote, adding that “the Trump administration’s continued refusal to execute a responsible transition puts our national security at risk.”
Rice explained that the team assembled by Biden and Sen. Kamala Harris, who was his running mate, has not received any classified information, nor has it been granted access to key elements of the executive branch.
“Without access to critical threat information, no incoming team can counter what it can’t see coming,” she noted.
“If, today, the Trump administration is tracking potential or actual threats… but fails to share this information in a timely fashion with the Biden-Harris team, it could cost us dearly in terms of American lives.”
Trump’s refusal to cooperate, Rice added, is also guaranteed to have an impact on Biden’s fight against the coronavirus pandemic as well as on his efforts to improve the economy.
“Tragically, but not surprisingly, Mr. Trump appears determined to take a final wrecking ball to our democracy and national security on his inevitable way out the door,” she concluded.
Though Rice is not a member of Biden’s transition body, she could join his Cabinet. According to Fox News’ sources, Obama is pushing the former vice president to nominate her for secretary of state.
Rice was vetted by Biden’s people when she made the running mate shortlist, but, ultimately, Harris was picked. Still, as an experienced official who served as a United Nations ambassador, she could be a good addition to the Cabinet, Obama reportedly believes.
However, some Democrats allegedly fear that Rice’s nomination would be met with protests from the GOP-controlled Senate, because of her involvement in the Benghazi scandal.
