As early as the summer of 2020, President Donald Trump began questioning the legitimacy of the 2020 election, saying that the increase of mail-in voting in the election compared to previous elections will lead to a "rigged election". For this reason, many pundits and editorial writers would insist that Biden would need to win by a landslide to prevent Trump from challenging the result. Trump's preemptive accusations of fraud led some people to consider what would happen if he should lose by a margin less than a landslide. At various points, Trump had called for his attorney general, William Barr, to investigate Biden and his son Hunter, with Trump frequently insisting that his opponent should be in prison.
Murphy refused to sign a letter (the "ascertainment" determination) allowing Biden's transition team to formally begin work to facilitate an orderly transition of power. By refusing to allow the Biden administration transition to proceed, she prevented the incoming administration from obtaining office space, performing background checks on prospective Cabinet nominees, and accessing classified information which might be needed to respond to emergencies that the administration confronts when in office. Murphy's withholding of the letter also blocked President-elect Biden's transition team from accessing several million dollars in federal transition funds for salaries and other costs, establishing government email addresses, and working with the Office of Government Ethics on required financial disclosure and conflict-of-interest forms for incoming nominees.
Amid public speculation that her refusal might jeopardize national security and public health, Murphy began a job search for herself, inquiring about employment opportunities in 2021.
On November 8, the nonpartisan Center for Presidential Transition issued a statement saying "We urge the Trump administration to immediately begin the post-election transition process and the Biden team to take full advantage of the resources available under the Presidential Transition Act." The letter was signed by several experts in presidential transitions: Joshua Bolten, President George W. Bush's former chief of staff; Mike Leavitt, former governor of Utah and Bush's Secretary of Health and Human Services; Mack McLarty, Bill Clinton's former chief of staff; and Penny Pritzker, Barack Obama's Secretary of Commerce.
On November 23, after Michigan certified its results, Murphy issued the letter of ascertainment, granting the Biden transition team access to federal funds and resources for an orderly transition. Breaking with recent precedent, the letter did not call Biden "president-elect", instead fulfilling her requirements under the Act without implying that he won the election. In the letter Murphy called the Act "vague", recommended Congress "consider amendments to the Act" to improve the standard it sets for post-election allocation of resources, and described threats she had allegedly received pressuring her to act.
Meetings between the transition team and the administration began with the formation of two councils in May 2020, around the time the former vice president had clinched the Democratic nomination.
Key responsibilities of a presidential transition include the identification and vetting of candidates for approximately 4,000 non-civil service positions in the U.S. government who serve at the pleasure of the president; arranging the occupancy of executive residences including the White House, One Observatory Circle, and Camp David; liaising with the United States Strategic Command for receipt of the Gold Codes; and briefing senior personnel about a new administration's policy priorities.
Under existing federal law and custom, Biden became eligible to receive classified national security briefings when his nomination was formalized at the party's national convention in August 2020.
The Presidential Transition Act was amended in 2019 to require the incumbent president to establish "transition councils" by June of an election year to facilitate a possible handover of power.
Biden launched his transition website at approximately 6:30 p.m. EST on November 4, a day after Election Day and before the final election results were in.
Harris resigned her Senate seat on January 18, 2021, two days before assuming the vice presidency. On January 19, 2021, California Governor Gavin Newsom announced that California Secretary of State Alex Padilla succeeded Harris for the remainder of her term.
While the transition was ongoing, multiple lawsuits were filed to contest election procedures and results. Most of these lawsuits were unsuccessful and were quickly dismissed.
Before naming any White House staff or cabinet appointments, Biden announced that he will appoint a COVID-19 task force, co-chaired by former Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, former Food and Drug Administration Commissioner David Kessler and Yale University epidemiologist Professor Marcella Nunez-Smith, to replace the previous White House Coronavirus Task Force.
Bhavya Lal was appointed as the Acting Chief of Staff for NASA at the White House.
There was a great deal of resistance to Biden staffers by Trump appointees, and not much cooperation. Then on December 18, acting Defense Secretary Chris Miller said in a statement that the transition team had agreed to a two-week pause in discussions over the December holiday period. This was news to the Biden transition team, who immediately said they had not agreed to any such thing.
President-elect Joe Biden plans on signing several executive orders after being sworn into office on January 20, 2021. His planned executive orders include:
In addition to these executive orders, President-elect Biden plans to issue a large number of executive orders on day one relating to climate change, and cancel several health care policies put in place by the Trump administration including Medicaid work requirements, short-term health plans, Obamacare funding cuts, Title X abortion referral restrictions, and the Mexico City Policy, as well as reinstating Planned Parenthood funding and restoring LGBTQ regulations. President-elect Biden also stated he would urge all Americans to wear a mask for the first 100 days of his presidency in an effort to curb the COVID-19 pandemic.
Except for those noted, the transition team was announced on September 5.
In addition to the roughly $6 million in federal funding the transition received, it raised $22.1 million in private contributions. The Biden transition made $24 million in expenditures.
Blake, Aaron (November 11, 2020). "Trump lawyers suffer embarrassing rebukes from judges over voter fraud claims". The Age. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved November 16, 2020. https://www.theage.com.au/world/north-america/trump-lawyers-suffer-embarrassing-rebukes-from-judges-over-voter-fraud-claims-20201112-p56dty.html
"Trump claims millions of his were 'deleted' by election system". The New Daily. November 12, 2020. Archived from the original on November 13, 2020. Retrieved November 16, 2020. https://thenewdaily.com.au/news/world/2020/11/13/trump-election-votes/
Tomazin, Farrah (November 13, 2020). "'Most secure in history': Security agencies refute Trump's election fraud claims". The Age. Archived from the original on November 15, 2020. Retrieved November 16, 2020. https://www.theage.com.au/world/north-america/most-secure-in-history-security-agencies-refute-trump-s-election-fraud-claims-20201113-p56edo.html
Kaitlan Collins; LeBlanc (November 18, 2020). "Trump fires director of Homeland Security agency who had rejected President's election conspiracy theories". CNN. Archived from the original on November 18, 2020. Retrieved November 21, 2020. https://www.cnn.com/2020/11/17/politics/chris-krebs-fired-by-trump/index.html
Holmes, Kristen; Herb, Jeremy (November 23, 2020). "First on CNN: Key government agency acknowledges Biden's win and begins formal transition". CNN. Archived from the original on November 23, 2020. Retrieved November 24, 2020. https://www.cnn.com/2020/11/23/politics/transition-biden-gsa-begin/index.html
Visser, Nick (November 23, 2020). "Trump Administration Finally Clears Way For Biden Transition To Begin". HuffPost. Archived from the original on November 24, 2020. Retrieved November 24, 2020. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/gsa-biden-transition-begin_n_5fbc406ac5b6e4b1ea452d95
Rein, Lisa; O'Connell, Jonathan; Dawsey, Josh. "A little-known Trump appointee is in charge of handing transition resources to Biden — and she isn't budging". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Archived from the original on November 9, 2020. Retrieved November 9, 2020. https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-gsa-letter-biden-transition/2020/11/08/07093acc-21e9-11eb-8672-c281c7a2c96e_story.html
Lewis, Simon; Reid, Tim (November 10, 2020). Coghill, Kim (ed.). "Biden camp calls for GSA to recognize victory so US presidential transition can begin". Reuters. Retrieved September 4, 2023. https://www.reuters.com/article/usa-election-transition-biden-idINW1N2HQ0JU
Lewis, Simon (November 13, 2020). "President-elect Biden, denied classified intel briefings, to bring in national security experts". Reuters. Retrieved September 4, 2023. https://www.reuters.com/article/uk-usa-election-transition-idUSKBN27T2OM
Wilkie, Christina (November 17, 2020). "Biden receives national security briefing from experts outside government as Trump resists transition". CNBC. Archived from the original on November 23, 2020. Retrieved November 24, 2020. https://www.cnbc.com/2020/11/17/nongovernment-national-security-experts-brief-biden-as-trump-resists-transition.html
Crowley, Michael; Shear, Michael D. (November 18, 2020). "Denied Briefings by Trump, Biden Meets With Former National Security Officials". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on November 24, 2020. Retrieved November 24, 2020. /wiki/Michael_Crowley_(journalist)
Collins, Kaitlan; Cohen, Zachary (November 25, 2020). "White House has signed off on Joe Biden getting the President's Daily Brief". CNN. Archived from the original on November 25, 2020. Retrieved November 26, 2020. /wiki/Kaitlan_Collins
Peñaloza, Marisa (January 6, 2021). "Trump Supporters Clash With Capitol Police At Protest". National Public Radio. Archived from the original on January 6, 2021. Retrieved January 6, 2021. https://www.npr.org/sections/congress-electoral-college-tally-live-updates/2021/01/06/953616207/diehard-trump-supporters-gather-in-the-nations-capital-to-protest-election-resul
Amenabar, Teddy; Zauzmer, Julie; Davies, Emily; Brice-Saddler, Michael; Ruane, Michael E.; Chason, Rachel; Tan, Rebecca; Olivo, Antonio; Hermann, Peter (January 6, 2021). "Live updates: Hundreds storm Capitol barricades; two nearby buildings briefly evacuated; Trump falsely tells thousands he won". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on January 6, 2021. Retrieved January 6, 2021. https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2021/01/06/dc-protests-trump-rally-live-updates/
Hooks, Kris; Rodd, Scott (January 6, 2021). "Trump Supporters, Proud Boys Converge On California's Capitol To Protest Electoral College Count". CapRadio. Archived from the original on January 6, 2021. Retrieved January 6, 2021. https://www.capradio.org/161107
Woodward, Calvin (July 30, 2020). "AP FACT CHECK: Trump's view of flawed voting is baseless". AP NEWS. Archived from the original on October 28, 2020. Retrieved December 19, 2020. https://apnews.com/article/3f6b2adcf0b66066195f307e18173b6f
Cohen, Marshall (June 22, 2020). "Trump spreads new lies about foreign-backed voter fraud, stoking fears of a 'rigged election' this November". CNN. Archived from the original on October 25, 2020. Retrieved December 19, 2020. https://www.cnn.com/2020/06/22/politics/trump-voter-fraud-lies-fact-check/index.html
Freedland, Jonathan (July 17, 2020). "Trump will cling to power. To get him out, Biden will have to win big | Jonathan Freedland". The Guardian. Archived from the original on October 29, 2020. Retrieved December 19, 2020. https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/jul/17/trump-biden-win-democrat-landslide
Bruni, Frank (August 22, 2020). "Opinion | Why Biden Needs a Landslide Just to Win". The New York Times. Archived from the original on October 28, 2020. Retrieved December 19, 2020 – via NYTimes.com. /wiki/Frank_Bruni
Graff, Garrett M. (October 23, 2020). "A Day-By-Day Guide to What Could Happen If This Election Goes Bad". Politico. Archived from the original on October 23, 2020. Retrieved December 19, 2020. /wiki/Garrett_Graff
Piven, Frances Fox; Bhargava, Deepak (August 11, 2020). "What If Trump Won't Leave?". The Intercept. Archived from the original on October 31, 2020. Retrieved December 19, 2020. https://theintercept.com/2020/08/11/trump-november-2020-election/
Gellman, Barton (September 23, 2020). "The Election That Could Break America". The Atlantic. Archived from the original on October 28, 2020. Retrieved December 19, 2020. /wiki/Barton_Gellman
Madhani, Aamer; Long, Colleen (October 21, 2020). "Trump ups pressure on Barr to probe Bidens as election nears". AP News. Archived from the original on October 26, 2020. Retrieved October 28, 2020. https://apnews.com/article/election-2020-joe-biden-donald-trump-william-barr-elections-20fd56b64801dd83b1657c630a1ebdfa
Brynen, Rex (August 4, 2020). "Transition Integrity Project: Preventing a disrupted presidential election and transition". PAXsims. Archived from the original on November 1, 2020. Retrieved August 9, 2020. https://paxsims.wordpress.com/2020/08/04/transition-integrity-project-preventing-a-disrupted-presidential-election-and-transition/
"Experts Game Out What Might Happen If The Election Goes Off The Rails". NPR.org. Archived from the original on October 28, 2020. Retrieved August 9, 2020. https://www.npr.org/2020/07/30/897345056/experts-game-out-what-might-happen-if-the-election-goes-off-the-rails
Illing, Sean (June 3, 2020). "Will he go?". Vox. Archived from the original on December 25, 2020. Retrieved December 23, 2020. https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2020/6/3/21257133/trump-2020-election-meltdown-lawrence-douglas
Barrett, Ted (January 6, 2005). "Democrats challenge Ohio electoral votes". CNN. Archived from the original on May 11, 2016. Retrieved December 19, 2020. https://www.cnn.com/2005/ALLPOLITICS/01/06/electoral.vote.1718/
Goldmacher, Shane (September 14, 2020). "Biden Creates Legal War Room, Preparing for a Big Fight Over Voting". The New York Times. Archived from the original on November 6, 2020. Retrieved December 19, 2020. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/14/us/politics/biden-legal-challenges-trump.html
Donovan Slack; Joel Shannon. "Election challenges live updates: Pennsylvania officials must separate ballots that arrived after Election Day". USA TODAY. Archived from the original on December 8, 2020. Retrieved December 19, 2020. https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2020/11/06/election-recounts-lawsuits-trump-biden-pennsylvania-wisconsin/6184226002/
Epstein, Jennifer (November 10, 2020). "Biden Transition Team Calls on Federal Agency to Declare Winner". Bloomberg. Archived from the original on November 18, 2020. Retrieved November 18, 2020. Biden was declared the winner by media organizations after securing enough electoral votes. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-11-10/biden-transition-team-calls-on-federal-agency-to-declare-winner
Budryk, Zack (November 9, 2020). "Biden campaign pushes GSA chief to approve transition". The Hill. Archived from the original on November 19, 2020. Retrieved November 18, 2020. Major media outlets projected Biden as the president-elect Saturday. https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/525083-biden-campaign-pushes-gsa-chief-to-approve-transition
Levin, Bess (November 16, 2020). "The Trump Appointee Blocking Biden's Transition Is Reportedly Trying to Line Up a New Job for 2021". Vanity Fair. Archived from the original on November 17, 2020. Retrieved November 18, 2020. But 13 days after the 2020 election and more than a week after all major media outlets called the race for Joe Biden, with Trump having absolutely no chance of getting a second term, Murphy has refused to acknowledge that Biden won, making it that much more difficult for the president-elect and his team to get a head start on crucial matters like a pandemic that has killed more than 245,000 people in the U.S. so far and stands to kill a lot more if no one does anything about it until January 2021. https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2020/11/emily-murphy-joe-biden-transition
Young, Robin (November 9, 2020). "In Unprecedented Move, Key Federal Agency Hesitates On Declaring Biden Winner". WBUG.org. Archived from the original on November 9, 2020. Retrieved November 18, 2020. The answer is no, and I think you rightly note that this is different than what occurred in 2000 [in the Al Gore vs. George W. Bush race], there is a consensus certainly on the media side and with the states that are at play. https://www.wbur.org/hereandnow/2020/11/09/biden-trump-transition-of-power
Rein, Lisa; O'Connell, Jonathan; Dawsey, Josh. "A little-known Trump appointee is in charge of handing transition resources to Biden — and she isn't budging". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Archived from the original on November 9, 2020. Retrieved November 9, 2020. https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-gsa-letter-biden-transition/2020/11/08/07093acc-21e9-11eb-8672-c281c7a2c96e_story.html
Collinson, Stephen (November 11, 2020). "Alarm grows over Trump administration acting 'more akin to a dictatorship' as he denies election defeat". CNN. Archived from the original on November 11, 2020. Retrieved November 11, 2020. https://www.cnn.com/2020/11/11/politics/donald-trump-joe-biden-transition/index.html
Faulders, Katherine; Flaherty, Anne; Siegel, Benjamin (November 17, 2020). "GSA official blocking Biden's transition appears to privately plan post-Trump career". ABC News. Archived from the original on November 17, 2020. Retrieved November 17, 2020. https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/gsa-official-blocking-bidens-transition-privately-plans-post/story?id=74234794
Seddiq, Oma (March 13, 2019). "Trump official Emily Murphy blocking Biden transition looks for new job". Business Insider. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved November 17, 2020. https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-official-emily-murphy-blocking-biden-transition-looks-for-new-job-2020-11
"Why Donald Trump's tweet about Emily Murphy, head of the GSA, matters in the US election". ABC News. Abc.net.au. November 16, 2020. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved November 17, 2020. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-11-17/donald-trump-tweet-about-emily-murphy-and-gsa-us-election-role/12886956
Smith, Allan; Przybyla, Heide (November 9, 2020). "Trump appointee slow-walks Biden transition. That could delay the president-elect's Covid-19 plan". NBC News. Archived from the original on November 14, 2020. Retrieved November 13, 2020. https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2020-election/trump-appointee-slow-walks-biden-transition-could-delay-president-elect-n1247152
Wolfe, Jan (November 9, 2020). "Explainer: How and when will Trump leave office?". Reuters. Retrieved November 9, 2020. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-election-eviction-explainer-idUSKBN27P19X
Wolfe, Jan (November 9, 2020). "Explainer: How and when will Trump leave office?". Reuters. Retrieved November 9, 2020. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-election-eviction-explainer-idUSKBN27P19X
DeCiccio, Emily (November 11, 2020). "Former Bush chief of staff cites 9/11, warns about slow transition". CNBC. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved November 17, 2020. https://www.cnbc.com/2020/11/11/former-bush-chief-of-staff-cites-9/11-warns-about-slow-transition.html
Shaub, Walter Michael Jr (July 2, 2020). "The Presidential Transition Meets Murphy's Law". The New York Review of Books. Archived from the original on November 14, 2020. Retrieved November 17, 2020. /wiki/Walter_Shaub
Gregorian, Dareh (November 11, 2020). "Ex-Bush, Obama Homeland Security chiefs call on Trump admin to begin transition". NBC News. Archived from the original on November 17, 2020. Retrieved November 17, 2020. https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2020-election/live-blog/2020-11-11-biden-harris-transition-n1247340/ncrd1247458
Smith, Allan (November 15, 2020). "Fauci says delayed transition is a public health issue as Covid-19 cases soar". NBC News. Archived from the original on November 17, 2020. Retrieved November 17, 2020. https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2020-election/fauci-says-delayed-transition-public-health-issue-covid-19-cases-n1247863
Shear, Michael D.; Glueck, Katie; Verma, Pranshu (November 16, 2020). "Highlights of President-Elect Joe Biden's Transition: November 16, 2020 - The New York Times". The New York Times. Archived from the original on November 17, 2020. Retrieved November 17, 2020. /wiki/Michael_D._Shear
Daly, Matthew; Jalonick, Mary Clare (November 23, 2020). "GSA ascertains Joe Biden is 'apparent winner' of election, clears way for the transition from Trump administration to formally begin". The Baltimore Sun. Archived from the original on November 23, 2020. Retrieved November 23, 2020. https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/nation-world/ct-gsa-joe-biden-transition-20201123-fqs77zryxzac5lysm2wscrmpiy-story.html
Jankowicz, Mia (November 24, 2020). "The letter enabling Biden's transition goes to extreme lengths to avoid saying he beat Trump and won the election". Business Insider. Archived from the original on November 25, 2020. Retrieved November 25, 2020. https://www.businessinsider.com/biden-transition-letter-wont-admit-beat-trump-in-the-election-2020-11
Rein, Lisa (November 23, 2020). "Under pressure, Trump appointee Emily Murphy approves transition in unusually personal letter to Biden". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on November 25, 2020. Retrieved November 25, 2020. https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/gsa-emily-murphy-transition-biden/2020/11/23/c0f43e84-2de0-11eb-96c2-aac3f162215d_story.html
Restuccia, Andrew; Collins, Eliza (October 22, 2020). "Biden Team Prepares for Potentially Bumpy Transition". The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on October 22, 2020. Retrieved October 22, 2020. https://www.wsj.com/articles/biden-team-prepares-for-potentially-bumpy-transition-11603359002
"Trump Administration Details Efforts to Support Peaceful Presidential Transition". Government Executive. May 15, 2020. Archived from the original on October 24, 2020. Retrieved October 22, 2020. https://www.govexec.com/management/2020/05/trump-administration-details-efforts-support-peaceful-presidential-transition/165443/
Ember, Sydney (April 16, 2020). "Bernie Sanders Drops Out of 2020 Democratic Race for President". The New York Times. Archived from the original on April 8, 2020. Retrieved November 16, 2020. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/08/us/politics/bernie-sanders-drops-out.html
Bradner, Eric (June 20, 2020). "Biden expands transition team, adding key campaign allies and top Obama-Biden policy hands". CNN. Archived from the original on October 26, 2020. Retrieved October 25, 2020. https://www.cnn.com/2020/06/20/politics/joe-biden-transition-team/index.html
Bradner, Eric (June 20, 2020). "Biden expands transition team, adding key campaign allies and top Obama-Biden policy hands". CNN. Archived from the original on October 26, 2020. Retrieved October 25, 2020. https://www.cnn.com/2020/06/20/politics/joe-biden-transition-team/index.html
Herz, Michael Eric; Shaw, Kate (October 28, 2020). "The Transition Is Already Happening (And It's Going Fine So Far)". The Atlantic. Archived from the original on October 28, 2020. Retrieved October 28, 2020. /wiki/Kate_A._Shaw
Singh, Namita (November 5, 2020). "US Election: Biden launches transition website". The Independent. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved November 16, 2020. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-election-2020/biden-us-election-2020-trump-b1611918.html
"Time for US to unite, President-elect Biden says". BBC News. November 7, 2020. Archived from the original on November 14, 2020. Retrieved November 15, 2020. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/election-us-2020-54836636
Rein, Lisa; O'Connell, Jonathan; Dawsey, Josh. "A little-known Trump appointee is in charge of handing transition resources to Biden — and she isn't budging". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Archived from the original on November 9, 2020. Retrieved November 9, 2020. https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-gsa-letter-biden-transition/2020/11/08/07093acc-21e9-11eb-8672-c281c7a2c96e_story.html
Barrett, Ted (January 6, 2005). "Bush carries Electoral College after delay". CNN. Archived from the original on November 11, 2020. Retrieved November 11, 2020. https://www.cnn.com/2005/ALLPOLITICS/01/06/electoral.vote/
Holmes, Kristen; Herb, Jeremy (November 24, 2020). "Key government agency acknowledges Biden's win and begins formal transition". CNN. Archived from the original on November 24, 2020. Retrieved November 24, 2020. https://www.cnn.com/2020/11/23/politics/transition-biden-gsa-begin/index.html/
Revue LISA / LISA e-journal. OpenEdition. doi:10.4000/lisa. S2CID 244471700. https://dx.doi.org/10.4000/lisa
Elliott, Philip (November 9, 2020). "Why Donald Trump's Refusal to Give Biden Keys to Office Space Matters". Time. Archived from the original on November 9, 2020. Retrieved November 9, 2020. https://time.com/5909532/donald-trump-joe-biden-administration-transition/
"Help Wanted: 4,000 Presidential Appointees". Center for Presidential Transition. Partnership for Public Service. Archived from the original on January 12, 2017. Retrieved December 19, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20170112205457/http://presidentialtransition.org/blog/posts/160316_help-wanted-4000-appointees.php
"Trump Administration Details Efforts to Support Peaceful Presidential Transition". Government Executive. May 15, 2020. Archived from the original on October 24, 2020. Retrieved October 22, 2020. https://www.govexec.com/management/2020/05/trump-administration-details-efforts-support-peaceful-presidential-transition/165443/
"Center for Presidential Transition". Archived from the original on October 25, 2020. Retrieved October 23, 2020. https://presidentialtransition.org/
"Senate swears in Biden replacement Kaufman". NBC News. January 28, 2008. Retrieved October 14, 2024. https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna28692968
"Biden Transition Organization – Staff, Advisors". www.democracyinaction.us. Archived from the original on October 29, 2020. Retrieved October 22, 2020. https://www.democracyinaction.us/2020/chrntran/bidentransition.html
Strauss, Daniel (September 23, 2020). "'This is a transition like no other': Biden team prepared for all possibilities". The Guardian. Archived from the original on October 18, 2020. Retrieved October 23, 2020. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/sep/23/joe-biden-transition-team-election-campaign
Ollstein, Alice Miranda; Cassella, Megan (October 5, 2020). "A new challenge for transition planners: Building a government over Zoom". Politico. Archived from the original on October 28, 2020. Retrieved October 23, 2020. https://www.politico.com/news/2020/10/05/a-new-challenge-for-transition-planners-building-a-government-over-zoom-425528
"Biden team launches transition website". ABC News. November 4, 2020. Archived from the original on November 3, 2020. Retrieved November 4, 2020. https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/live-updates/2020-election-campaign-vote/?id=73960714#74029265
Bowman, Bridget (November 7, 2020). "Win by Biden and Harris opens up California Senate seat". Roll Call. Archived from the original on December 5, 2020. Retrieved December 4, 2020. https://www.rollcall.com/2020/11/07/win-by-biden-and-harris-opens-up-california-senate-seat
Blood, Michael R. (December 22, 2020). "California gets Latino US senator, some Black leaders angry". AP News. Archived from the original on December 23, 2020. Retrieved December 24, 2020. https://apnews.com/article/los-angeles-barbara-lee-immigration-california-alex-padilla-41137f888c5c08b0103c0b19ebdfe009
Bazelon, Emily (November 14, 2020). "Trump Is Not Doing Well With His Election Lawsuits. Here's a Rundown". New York Times. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved November 16, 2020. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/13/us/politics/trump-election-lawsuits.html
Feuer, Will (November 7, 2020). "President-elect Joe Biden to announce Covid task force on Monday". CNBC. Archived from the original on November 7, 2020. Retrieved November 8, 2020. https://www.cnbc.com/2020/11/07/president-elect-joe-biden-to-announce-covid-task-force-on-monday.html
Mercia, Dan; Zeleny, Jeff (November 7, 2020). "Biden to announce coronavirus task force as part of presidential transition". CNN. Archived from the original on November 8, 2020. Retrieved November 9, 2020. https://www.cnn.com/2020/11/07/politics/transition-biden-coronavirus-task-force/index.html
Goodnough, Abby; Stolberg, Sheryl Gay (October 15, 2020). "Biden's Covid Response Plan Draws From F.D.R.'s New Deal". The New York Times. Archived from the original on November 5, 2020. Retrieved November 7, 2020. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/14/health/covid-biden-pandemic-plan.html
Christensen, Jen. "How Biden plans to change the US pandemic response". CNN. Archived from the original on November 9, 2020. Retrieved November 9, 2020. https://www.cnn.com/2020/11/08/health/biden-pandemic-plan/index.html
Wagner, Meg; Macaya, Melissa; Hayes, Mike (November 25, 2020). "Fauci confirms he's been talking to President-elect Biden's staff". CNN. Archived from the original on November 25, 2020. Retrieved November 25, 2020. https://edition.cnn.com/politics/live-news/biden-trump-us-election-news-11-25-20#h_8c13e145584314c207c65e10be49ffcd
Shear, Michael D.; Glueck, Katie; Haberman, Maggie; Kaplan, Thomas (November 12, 2020). "Biden Names Ron Klain as White House Chief of Staff". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on November 12, 2020. Retrieved November 12, 2020. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/11/us/politics/ron-klain-biden.html
"Joe Biden names Cedric Richmond, O'Malley Dillon to White House posts". USA Today. October 27, 2020. Archived from the original on November 18, 2020. Retrieved November 17, 2020. https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2020/11/17/joe-biden-names-cedric-richmond-omalley-dillon-white-house-posts/6324404002/
"Biden Administration: Here's Who Has Been Named So Far". NPR.org. Archived from the original on November 17, 2020. Retrieved November 17, 2020. https://www.npr.org/2020/11/17/933848488/biden-administration-heres-who-has-been-nominated
"Biden announces more members of White House senior staff". CNN. November 20, 2020. Archived from the original on November 21, 2020. Retrieved November 20, 2020. https://www.cnn.com/politics/live-news/biden-trump-us-election-news-11-20-20/h_b6e4c0256a3c3bfd379b8aca7af6c735
Pager, Tyler; Epstein, Jennifer; Mohsin, Saleha (November 22, 2020). "Biden to Name Longtime Aide Blinken as Secretary of State". Bloomberg News. Archived from the original on November 23, 2020. Retrieved November 22, 2020. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-11-23/biden-to-name-longtime-aide-blinken-as-secretary-of-state
Jakes, Lara; Crowley, Michael; Sanger, David E. (November 22, 2020). "Biden Chooses Antony Blinken, Defender of Global Alliances, as Secretary of State". The New York Times. Archived from the original on November 23, 2020. Retrieved November 22, 2020. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/22/us/politics/biden-antony-blinken-secretary-of-state.html
Sarah Mucha; Gregory Krieg (November 23, 2020). "Joe Biden nominates first woman to lead intelligence and first Latino to head homeland security". CNN. Archived from the original on November 23, 2020. Retrieved November 23, 2020. https://www.cnn.com/2020/11/23/politics/joe-biden-foreign-policy-national-security-cabinet/index.html
Stein, Jeff; Siegel, Rachel (November 23, 2020). "Biden's pick for treasury secretary will be Janet Yellen". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on November 24, 2020. Retrieved November 24, 2020. https://www.washingtonpost.com/us-policy/2020/11/23/bidens-pick-treasury-secretary-will-be-janet-yellen/
"Who is Bhavya Lal, new acting chief of staff at NASA". February 2, 2021. Archived from the original on February 21, 2021. Retrieved February 25, 2021. https://www.businesstoday.in/latest/trends/who-is-bhavya-lal-new-acting-chief-of-staff-at-nasa/story/429970.html
Indian-American Bhavya Lal appointed acting chief of staff of NASA Archived February 20, 2021, at the Wayback Machine, Times of India, February 1, 2021, retrieved February 25, 2021. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/nri/us-canada-news/indian-american-bhavya-lal-appointed-acting-chief-of-staff-of-nasa/articleshow/80637310.cms
Hunnicutt, Trevor. "Biden Team Says Defense Department Officials Halted Cooperation". U.S. News & World Report. U.S. News & World Report L.P. Archived from the original on January 21, 2021. Retrieved December 19, 2020. https://www.usnews.com/news/us/articles/2020-12-18/biden-team-says-has-some-defense-dept-officials-not-cooperating-in-transition
Kheel, Rebecca (December 18, 2020). "Biden team expresses concern over 'abrupt halt' in cooperation with Pentagon". TheHill.com. The Hill. Retrieved December 19, 2020. https://thehill.com/policy/defense/530856-biden-team-expresses-concern-over-abrupt-halt-in-cooperation-with-pentagon
Viser, Matt; Kim, Seung Min; Linskey, Annie. "Biden plans immediate flurry of executive orders to reverse Trump policies". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on November 15, 2020. Retrieved November 15, 2020. https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/biden-first-executive-orders-measures/2020/11/07/9fb9c1d0-210b-11eb-b532-05c751cd5dc2_story.html
Friedman, Zack. "Biden Plans These 5 Executive Orders". Forbes. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved November 15, 2020. https://www.forbes.com/sites/zackfriedman/2020/11/08/biden-plans-these-5-executive-orders/
Zilbermints, Regina (December 30, 2020). "Biden aims to freeze Trump's 'midnight regulations'". TheHill. Archived from the original on February 14, 2021. Retrieved December 30, 2020. https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/532119-biden-aims-to-freeze-trumps-midnight-regulations
Sullivan, Kate (November 11, 2020). "Here are 10 climate executive actions Biden says he will take on day one". Archived from the original on November 17, 2020. Retrieved November 16, 2020 – via CNN. https://www.cnn.com/2020/11/11/politics/climate-executive-actions-joe-biden/index.html
Luhby, Tami; Kelly, Caroline; Cole, Devan. "Here are 7 Trump health care measures that Biden will likely overturn". CNN. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved November 16, 2020. https://www.cnn.com/2020/11/15/politics/biden-overturn-trump-health-care-policies/index.html
Collinson, Stephen; Reston, Maeve. "Biden urges America to mask up for 100 days as coronavirus surges". CNN. Archived from the original on December 9, 2020. Retrieved December 9, 2020. https://www.cnn.com/2020/12/03/politics/biden-harris-interview-covid-mask/index.html
"Biden Transition Organization – Staff, Advisors". www.democracyinaction.us. November 9, 2017. Archived from the original on October 29, 2020. Retrieved November 9, 2020. https://www.democracyinaction.us/2020/chrntran/bidentransition.html
"Cindy McCain Joins Biden-Harris Transition Team's Advisory Board". President-Elect Joe Biden. September 28, 2020. Archived from the original on November 15, 2020. Retrieved November 9, 2020. https://buildbackbetter.com/press-releases/cindy-mccain-joins-biden-harris-transition-teams-advisory-board/
"Cindy McCain Joins Biden-Harris Transition Team's Advisory Board". President-Elect Joe Biden. September 28, 2020. Archived from the original on November 15, 2020. Retrieved November 9, 2020. https://buildbackbetter.com/press-releases/cindy-mccain-joins-biden-harris-transition-teams-advisory-board/
"Biden Transition Organization – Staff, Advisors". www.democracyinaction.us. November 9, 2017. Archived from the original on October 29, 2020. Retrieved November 9, 2020. https://www.democracyinaction.us/2020/chrntran/bidentransition.html
"Cindy McCain Joins Biden-Harris Transition Team's Advisory Board". President-Elect Joe Biden. September 28, 2020. Archived from the original on November 15, 2020. Retrieved November 9, 2020. https://buildbackbetter.com/press-releases/cindy-mccain-joins-biden-harris-transition-teams-advisory-board/
"Biden Transition Organization – Staff, Advisors". www.democracyinaction.us. November 9, 2017. Archived from the original on October 29, 2020. Retrieved November 9, 2020. https://www.democracyinaction.us/2020/chrntran/bidentransition.html
"Cindy McCain Joins Biden-Harris Transition Team's Advisory Board". President-Elect Joe Biden. September 28, 2020. Archived from the original on November 15, 2020. Retrieved November 9, 2020. https://buildbackbetter.com/press-releases/cindy-mccain-joins-biden-harris-transition-teams-advisory-board/
"Biden Transition Organization – Staff, Advisors". www.democracyinaction.us. November 9, 2017. Archived from the original on October 29, 2020. Retrieved November 9, 2020. https://www.democracyinaction.us/2020/chrntran/bidentransition.html
"Cindy McCain Joins Biden-Harris Transition Team's Advisory Board". President-Elect Joe Biden. September 28, 2020. Archived from the original on November 15, 2020. Retrieved November 9, 2020. https://buildbackbetter.com/press-releases/cindy-mccain-joins-biden-harris-transition-teams-advisory-board/
"Biden Transition Organization – Staff, Advisors". www.democracyinaction.us. November 9, 2017. Archived from the original on October 29, 2020. Retrieved November 9, 2020. https://www.democracyinaction.us/2020/chrntran/bidentransition.html
"Cindy McCain Joins Biden-Harris Transition Team's Advisory Board". President-Elect Joe Biden. September 28, 2020. Archived from the original on November 15, 2020. Retrieved November 9, 2020. https://buildbackbetter.com/press-releases/cindy-mccain-joins-biden-harris-transition-teams-advisory-board/
"Biden Transition Organization – Staff, Advisors". www.democracyinaction.us. November 9, 2017. Archived from the original on October 29, 2020. Retrieved November 9, 2020. https://www.democracyinaction.us/2020/chrntran/bidentransition.html
"Cindy McCain Joins Biden-Harris Transition Team's Advisory Board". President-Elect Joe Biden. September 28, 2020. Archived from the original on November 15, 2020. Retrieved November 9, 2020. https://buildbackbetter.com/press-releases/cindy-mccain-joins-biden-harris-transition-teams-advisory-board/
"Biden Transition Organization – Staff, Advisors". www.democracyinaction.us. November 9, 2017. Archived from the original on October 29, 2020. Retrieved November 9, 2020. https://www.democracyinaction.us/2020/chrntran/bidentransition.html
Bradner, Eric (September 5, 2020). "Biden expands transition team, adding key campaign allies and top Obama-Biden policy hands". CNN. Retrieved September 13, 2021. https://www.cnn.com/2020/09/05/politics/joe-biden-transition-team/index.html
"Cindy McCain Joins Biden-Harris Transition Team's Advisory Board". President-Elect Joe Biden. September 28, 2020. Archived from the original on November 15, 2020. Retrieved November 9, 2020. https://buildbackbetter.com/press-releases/cindy-mccain-joins-biden-harris-transition-teams-advisory-board/
"Biden Transition Organization – Staff, Advisors". www.democracyinaction.us. November 9, 2017. Archived from the original on October 29, 2020. Retrieved November 9, 2020. https://www.democracyinaction.us/2020/chrntran/bidentransition.html
"Cindy McCain Joins Biden-Harris Transition Team's Advisory Board". President-Elect Joe Biden. September 28, 2020. Archived from the original on November 15, 2020. Retrieved November 9, 2020. https://buildbackbetter.com/press-releases/cindy-mccain-joins-biden-harris-transition-teams-advisory-board/
"Biden Transition Organization – Staff, Advisors". www.democracyinaction.us. November 9, 2017. Archived from the original on October 29, 2020. Retrieved November 9, 2020. https://www.democracyinaction.us/2020/chrntran/bidentransition.html
"Cindy McCain Joins Biden-Harris Transition Team's Advisory Board". President-Elect Joe Biden. September 28, 2020. Archived from the original on November 15, 2020. Retrieved November 9, 2020. https://buildbackbetter.com/press-releases/cindy-mccain-joins-biden-harris-transition-teams-advisory-board/
"Biden Transition Organization – Staff, Advisors". www.democracyinaction.us. November 9, 2017. Archived from the original on October 29, 2020. Retrieved November 9, 2020. https://www.democracyinaction.us/2020/chrntran/bidentransition.html
"Cindy McCain Joins Biden-Harris Transition Team's Advisory Board". President-Elect Joe Biden. September 28, 2020. Archived from the original on November 15, 2020. Retrieved November 9, 2020. https://buildbackbetter.com/press-releases/cindy-mccain-joins-biden-harris-transition-teams-advisory-board/
"Biden Transition Organization – Staff, Advisors". www.democracyinaction.us. November 9, 2017. Archived from the original on October 29, 2020. Retrieved November 9, 2020. https://www.democracyinaction.us/2020/chrntran/bidentransition.html
"Cindy McCain Joins Biden-Harris Transition Team's Advisory Board". President-Elect Joe Biden. September 28, 2020. Archived from the original on November 15, 2020. Retrieved November 9, 2020. https://buildbackbetter.com/press-releases/cindy-mccain-joins-biden-harris-transition-teams-advisory-board/
"Biden Transition Organization – Staff, Advisors". www.democracyinaction.us. November 9, 2017. Archived from the original on October 29, 2020. Retrieved November 9, 2020. https://www.democracyinaction.us/2020/chrntran/bidentransition.html
"Cindy McCain Joins Biden-Harris Transition Team's Advisory Board". President-Elect Joe Biden. September 28, 2020. Archived from the original on November 15, 2020. Retrieved November 9, 2020. https://buildbackbetter.com/press-releases/cindy-mccain-joins-biden-harris-transition-teams-advisory-board/
"Biden Transition Organization – Staff, Advisors". www.democracyinaction.us. November 9, 2017. Archived from the original on October 29, 2020. Retrieved November 9, 2020. https://www.democracyinaction.us/2020/chrntran/bidentransition.html
"Cindy McCain Joins Biden-Harris Transition Team's Advisory Board". President-Elect Joe Biden. September 28, 2020. Archived from the original on November 15, 2020. Retrieved November 9, 2020. https://buildbackbetter.com/press-releases/cindy-mccain-joins-biden-harris-transition-teams-advisory-board/
"Biden Transition Organization – Staff, Advisors". www.democracyinaction.us. November 9, 2017. Archived from the original on October 29, 2020. Retrieved November 9, 2020. https://www.democracyinaction.us/2020/chrntran/bidentransition.html
"Cindy McCain Joins Biden-Harris Transition Team's Advisory Board". President-Elect Joe Biden. September 28, 2020. Archived from the original on November 15, 2020. Retrieved November 9, 2020. https://buildbackbetter.com/press-releases/cindy-mccain-joins-biden-harris-transition-teams-advisory-board/
"Biden Transition Organization – Staff, Advisors". www.democracyinaction.us. November 9, 2017. Archived from the original on October 29, 2020. Retrieved November 9, 2020. https://www.democracyinaction.us/2020/chrntran/bidentransition.html
"Cindy McCain Joins Biden-Harris Transition Team's Advisory Board". President-Elect Joe Biden. September 28, 2020. Archived from the original on November 15, 2020. Retrieved November 9, 2020. https://buildbackbetter.com/press-releases/cindy-mccain-joins-biden-harris-transition-teams-advisory-board/
"Biden Transition Organization – Staff, Advisors". www.democracyinaction.us. November 9, 2017. Archived from the original on October 29, 2020. Retrieved November 9, 2020. https://www.democracyinaction.us/2020/chrntran/bidentransition.html
"Cindy McCain Joins Biden-Harris Transition Team's Advisory Board". President-Elect Joe Biden. September 28, 2020. Archived from the original on November 15, 2020. Retrieved November 9, 2020. https://buildbackbetter.com/press-releases/cindy-mccain-joins-biden-harris-transition-teams-advisory-board/
"Biden Transition Organization – Staff, Advisors". www.democracyinaction.us. November 9, 2017. Archived from the original on October 29, 2020. Retrieved November 9, 2020. https://www.democracyinaction.us/2020/chrntran/bidentransition.html
"Cindy McCain Joins Biden-Harris Transition Team's Advisory Board". President-Elect Joe Biden. September 28, 2020. Archived from the original on November 15, 2020. Retrieved November 9, 2020. https://buildbackbetter.com/press-releases/cindy-mccain-joins-biden-harris-transition-teams-advisory-board/
"Biden Transition Organization – Staff, Advisors". www.democracyinaction.us. November 9, 2017. Archived from the original on October 29, 2020. Retrieved November 9, 2020. https://www.democracyinaction.us/2020/chrntran/bidentransition.html
"Cindy McCain Joins Biden-Harris Transition Team's Advisory Board". President-Elect Joe Biden. September 28, 2020. Archived from the original on November 15, 2020. Retrieved November 9, 2020. https://buildbackbetter.com/press-releases/cindy-mccain-joins-biden-harris-transition-teams-advisory-board/
"Biden Transition Organization – Staff, Advisors". www.democracyinaction.us. November 9, 2017. Archived from the original on October 29, 2020. Retrieved November 9, 2020. https://www.democracyinaction.us/2020/chrntran/bidentransition.html
Mucha, Sarah (June 20, 2020). "Biden officially forms transition team". CNN. Retrieved September 7, 2021. https://www.cnn.com/2020/06/20/politics/joe-biden-transition-team/index.html
Fox, Ben; Spagat, Elliot (November 11, 2020). "Some big, early shifts on immigration expected under Biden". The Associated Press. Retrieved September 21, 2021. https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-donald-trump-virus-outbreak-immigration-2c47c4e0f429476e991a1aff67cbb90b
Mucha, Sarah (June 20, 2020). "Biden officially forms transition team". CNN. Retrieved September 7, 2021. https://www.cnn.com/2020/06/20/politics/joe-biden-transition-team/index.html
Lee, Matthew (January 16, 2021). "Biden fills out State Department team with Obama veterans". Associated Press. Retrieved September 7, 2021. https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-donald-trump-biden-cabinet-antony-blinken-foreign-policy-e7026ce218735c9faec9c7349aefb51e
Nagl, Kurt (May 14, 2021). "Awenate Cobbina reflects on the art of the transition". Crain's Detroit Business. Retrieved September 17, 2021. https://www.crainsdetroit.com/conversation/awenate-cobbina-reflects-art-transition
Zeleny, Jeff; LeBlanc, Paul (January 15, 2021). "Biden taps Lisa Monaco as homeland security adviser to inauguration amid rising threats". CNN. Retrieved September 17, 2021. https://www.cnn.com/2021/01/14/politics/joe-biden-lisa-monaco-inauguration/index.html
Schouten, Fredreka (February 22, 2021). "President Joe Biden raised $22 million to fund his transition to power". CNN. Archived from the original on February 23, 2021. Retrieved February 23, 2021. https://www.cnn.com/2021/02/22/politics/biden-raising-money-white-house-transition/index.html