Presidential historian Tevi Troy has an article in the Washington Post about presidential transitions. His piece is in “five myths about” format the Post likes to use in its Sunday Outlook section.
The myths are :
(1) A transition requires an official GSA sign-off to begin.
(2) Same-party transitions are smoother.
(3) Transitions start after the election.
(4) Transitions show how an administration will operate.
(5) Biden faces a very difficult transition.
Team Biden is likely to blame whatever difficulties it encounters in transition on President Trump and his team. However, Tevi concludes:
A transition is largely an internal exercise, and the results are up to the incoming president and the surrounding aides. If the transition works well, it’s a tribute to them, but if it falters, there is no one to blame but themselves.
I would add that, to the extent cooperation from an outgoing administration matters, Biden forfeited his right to expect much of it when, during the first presidential debate, he called Trump a “clown” and told him to “shut up.” Even a less egomaniacal president than the current one wouldn’t be likely to cooperate much with a successor like that.
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