Biden launches transition without White House concession
President Trump questions election outcome and plots legal challenges - NBC's Alice Barr reports
WASHINGTON, D.C. (KYMA, KECY) - In his first working day as President-elect Joe Biden made his top priority clear.
"It starts with doing everything possible to get COVID-19 under control." said Biden during a Monday afternoon address.
Biden met today with his new pandemic advisory team, and celebrated promising news of an effective vaccine in the pipeline. The President-elect made a bipartisan plea for masks until it's ready.
"It doesn't matter your party, your point of view, we can save tens of thousands of lives if everyone would just wear a mask." he said.
The Biden team is moving forward with its transition, even as President Donald Trump contests the outcome. Trump claims fraud, but offers no evidence. His campaign is pushing ahead with legal challenges, and rebuffing calls to concede.
"That word's not even in our vocabulary right now." said Jason Miller, a Trump 2020 Campaign Senior Adviser.
The Trump appointee heading the general services administration so far refusing to authorize the resources to help the Biden team ramp up its transition work. The President's loyalists are also standing by him.
"Do not concede, Mr. President. Fight hard." said newly-reelected Sen. Lindsey Graham, (R-S.C.).
Some establishment Republicans are congratulating the new president-elect, including former President George W. Bush, and Sen. Mitt Romney, (R-Utah).
As the jockeying continued, Vice President Mike Pence led the first White House COVID Task Force meeting in three weeks. This as Housing and Urban Secretary Ben Carson confirmed he has tested positive for coronavirus. It's the first known case inside the President's cabinet.
President-elect Biden includes rejoining the World Health Organization and Paris Climate Agreement among his goals for his first 100 days.
Meanwhile, President Trump is considering holding campaign-style rallies in states where he's suing or calling for a recount.
