Former Rep. Mike Rogers (R-MI), who chaired the House Intelligence Committee during the Obama administration, on Tuesday hit back at the Trump administration’s restrictions on sharing national security information with President-elect Joe Biden amid the sitting POTUS’ refusal to concede his election loss.
In a tweet posted Tuesday, Rogers wrote that the need for the President-elect to receive the President’s Daily Brief, a high-level intelligence report that goes to most senior U.S. officials, during his transition “isn’t about politics.” Trump could authorize Biden’s access to the PDB himself, but he predictably has not done so.
Our adversaries aren't waiting for the transition to take place. @JoeBiden should receive the President's Daily Brief (PDB) starting today. He needs to know what the latest threats are & begin to plan accordingly. This isn't about politics; this is about national security.
— Mike Rogers (@RepMikeRogers) November 10, 2020
Rogers’ tweet came shortly after Biden told reporters on Tuesday that he was not receiving the daily intelligence brief, which he said “would be useful but it’s not necessary” since he’s “not the sitting president now.”
“Access to classified information is useful but I’m not in a position to make any decisions on these issues anyway,” Biden said. “It would be nice to have it but it’s not critical.”
Rogers’ tweet was also posted hours after Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told reporters that “there will be a smooth transition to a second Trump administration” — a remark adding to the push by the Trumpworld, and the federal government, to undermine democracy by delegitimizing the election process behind Biden’s legitimate election victory.
Pompeo issued his latest remarks a day after Attorney General Bill Barr released a memo in favor of the unrelenting President who refuses to concede to the Democratic President-elect. Barr’s memo will permit investigations into unfounded allegations of election fraud in the 2020 presidential race, a reversal of long-held DOJ policy.
When asked about whether Trump’s refusal to concede to Biden undermines efforts by the United States to promote free and fair elections around the world, Pompeo offered a dismissive response by calling the notion “ridiculous.”
Despite multiple outlets reporting Biden’s projected win on Saturday, General Services Administration chief Emily Murphy, who has sole authority over whether Biden’s transition can officially move forward, has not signed the letter of “ascertainment.” The signing of an “ascertainment” that Biden has won the presidency would allow the President-elect’s transition team to contact federal agencies or access the millions of dollars set aside for it.
On Tuesday, a spokesperson for the Office of the Director of National Intelligence told TPM in a statement that it won’t support the “ascertainment” recognizing Biden’s election victory unless the GSA administrator gives the green light to do so.
“ODNI follows the statutory direction provided in the Presidential Transition Act, which requires ascertainment of the candidate by the administrator of GSA prior to supporting a potential presidential transition,” the ODNI spokesperson told TPM. “ODNI would not have contact with any transition team until notified by the GSA administrator.”
