Trump accepts transition to Biden must begin

INTERNATIONAL DESK: Donald Trump has accepted a formal US transition should begin for President-elect Joe Biden to take office, BBC reports.

The president said the federal agency overseeing the handover must “do what needs to be done”, even as he vowed to keep contesting his election defeat.

The General Services Administration (GSA) said it was acknowledging Mr Biden as the “apparent winner”.

It came as Mr Biden’s victory in the state of Michigan was officially certified, a major blow to Mr Trump.

The Biden team welcomed the start of the transition process as the Democratic president-elect gears up to be sworn in on 20 January.

“Today’s decision is a needed step to begin tackling the challenges facing our nation, including getting the pandemic under control and our economy back on track,” said its statement.

“This final decision is a definitive administrative action to formally begin the transition process with federal agencies.”

Earlier on Monday, Mr Biden unveiled a foreign policy and national security team consisting of old colleagues from his years in the Obama administration.

He will appoint Anthony Blinken as secretary of state and John Kerry as climate envoy, while Janet Yellen is tipped to be the first female US treasury secretary.

What did Trump say?

Mr Trump tweeted as the GSA, which is tasked with formally beginning presidential transitions, informed the Biden camp that it would start the process.

Administrator Emily Murphy said she was making $6.3m (£4.7m) in funds available to the president-elect.

While pledging to keep up the “good fight”, the president said: “Nevertheless, in the best interest of our Country, I am recommending that Emily and her team do what needs to be done with regard to initial protocols, and have told my team to do the same.”