White House spokesperson Saloni Sharma confirmed that President-elect Donald Trump’s team signed the White House memorandum of understanding, following repeated efforts by the Biden White House and General Services Administration to encourage the signing of the agreements since September.
President Joe Biden and his chief of staff, Jeff Zients, urged Trump and his incoming chief of staff, Susie Wiles, to sign the agreements during a November 13 Oval Office meeting. Trump and Wiles showed willingness to proceed with the agreements.
Zients met with Wiles again on November 19 to emphasize the importance of commencing transition briefings for national security and continuity purposes. It was acknowledged that further delay in transition activities would not be conducive to a smooth transition.
Sharma stated, “On January 20 at 12 p.m. (ET), President Trump and his team will be in seat. We have two options. Option one is no transition, potentially risking the security of the American people and our country. Option two is to conduct a smooth transition with safeguards in the White House MOU to protect non-public information and prevent conflicts of interest. Option two is the responsible course and in the best interest of the American people.”
The signed White House agreement will enable authorized members of the Trump transition team to access agency and White House employees, facilities, and information. Federal agencies will be provided with guidance on securely sharing information with Trump’s team.
However, Trump’s team chose not to sign a separate memorandum with the General Services Administration, which was due on September 1. This memorandum would have granted access to office space and secure communications, among other provisions. The Biden White House expressed disagreement with this decision.
Additionally, the Trump team has yet to sign a memorandum of understanding with the Department of Justice. White House officials mentioned that progress has been made towards reaching an agreement. Once the MOU is signed, the Department of Justice will be prepared to process requests for security clearances for individuals needing access to briefing materials and national security information.
