Trump national security adviser O’Brien says looks now that Biden has won
WASHINGTON, Nov 16- U.S. President Donald Trump’s national security adviser, Robert O’Brien, said on Monday he will ensure a professional transition to the team led by Democrat Joe Biden if Biden is deemed the winner of the 2020 presidential election and “obviously things look like that now.” Speaking to the Global Security Forum, O’Brien said that while he hoped…
WASHINGTON, Nov 16 (Reuters) – U.S. President Donald Trump’s
national security adviser, Robert O’Brien, said on Monday he
will ensure a professional transition to the team led by
Democrat Joe Biden if Biden is deemed the winner of the 2020
presidential election and “obviously things look like that now.”
The Republican Trump has insisted the Nov. 3 election was”rigged” and that he will be declared the winner after a seriesof legal challenges in several states.
Speaking to the Global Security Forum, O’Brien said thatwhile he hoped Trump would turn out to have won a secondfour-year term, he would work with a new administration headedby Biden and his vice presidential running mate, Kamala Harris.
“If there is a new administration, look, they deserve sometime to come in and implement their policies,” O’Brien said. “Ifthe Biden-Harris ticket is determined to be the winner, andobviously things look like that now, we’ll have a veryprofessional transition from the National Security Council,there’s no question about it.”
Trump has so far failed to produce evidence that couldoverturn Biden’s 306-232 victory over Trump in thestate-by-state Electoral College vote. States face a Dec. 8“safe harbor” deadline to certify their elections and chooseelectors who will officially select the new president on Dec.14.
O’Brien said it appeared Biden was prepared to bring in aprofessional national security team.
“The great thing is this is the United States of America,”the national security adviser said. “We passed the baton andhave had peaceful, successful transitions even in the mostcontentious periods.”(Reporting by Steve Holland; Editing by Howard Goller)
