Nonpartisan experts and Democrats warn Trump is shirking transition duties

Former President Donald Trump and his team still have not taken critical steps toward preparing for a potential presidential transition if he wins the White House, with nonpartisan experts and Democrats raising alarms with just 13 days to go before Election Day.

Former President Donald Trump and his team still have not taken critical steps toward preparing for a potential presidential transition if he wins the White House, with nonpartisan experts and Democrats raising alarms with just 13 days to go before Election Day. Trump’s team has blown past a pair of key deadlines for the transition, breaking with precedent in a way that could ultimately pose challenges for a peaceful transfer of power. By September 1, both the Trump and Harris campaigns were expected to sign a memorandum of understanding with the General Services Administration that gives them access to office space, communications, equipment and IT support. The campaigns are also expected to submit an ethics plan and to identify the initial people who would need security clearances to begin receiving classified information during a transition. By October 1, both campaigns were expected to sign a separate memorandum of understanding with the White House detailing the terms of access to agencies, including personnel, facilities and documents. As of Wednesday, Trump’s team has failed to sign either memorandum or submit an ethics plan, while Harris’s team has completed those tasks. Max Stier, president of the nonprofit, nonpartisan Partnership for Public Service, cautioned that poor transition planning could prevent a potential Trump second term from addressing threats on day one.