“Denied Briefings” by Tanner R.

 President Trump has made it clear that the election isn’t over despite every major news network saying that it is. President Trump has still refused to concede, and because of this President-elect Biden has yet to receive a single daily presidential briefing.  Mr. Biden stated that he is “unable to get the briefings that he ordinarily would have come by now.” President Trump can prevent Mr. Biden and his aides from receiving the presidential daily briefing, the compendium of the government’s latest secrets and best intelligence insights, for the entire transition. No law states that Mr. Biden must receive it, though under previous administrations since at least 1968, presidents have authorized their elected successors to be given the briefing after the election is called.

The president elect has warned that failing to give the incoming administration enough information on the virus and the vaccines that could prevent it could be disastrous. Without this information it will be very difficult for the President-elect to hit the ground running. Members of Mr. Biden’s Covid Advisory Board issued their own warning that planning for distribution of a coronavirus vaccine and other attempts to combat the virus are very difficult because of the President’s unwillingness to share information. Mr Biden’s advisory board said that they were being prevented from working with government officials in charge of distributing the vaccines and had not been given access to any government data on case counts, deaths or hospitalization, and they are relying instead on media and private reports. The President is not required to give these briefings. However, without them it may prove challenging for the Biden administration to distribute the new vaccine. Biden stated that “Vaccine distribution is difficult and daunting under any circumstance.” 

President Trump believes that voting fraud has caused his loss in the election, and refuses to give information to Mr. Biden. Do you think that Trump should give these briefings? Do you think he is in the right to keep the information? Why or why not?