Speaking at Queen’s Theatre in Wilmington, Del. today, 78-year-old President-elect Joe Biden said the Trump administration harmed the transition period by gutting “policy teams” responsible for briefing the incoming administration. Biden didn’t say specifically which “policy teams,” only vaguely that he didn’t be enough information about he recent Russian hacks on SolarWinds network management software used by a number of government departments including, Treasury, Energy, VA, Army, ICE, VA, IRS, FLETC, etc. Biden implies that Trump deliberately ordered transition teams to keep him in the dark about the alleged Russian hack of a SolarWinds update that inflected many government agencies. Biden doesn’t say which of the Defense Department or transition agencies haven’t given him enough national security updates, other that making sweeping statements about not getting enough.
Making public statements denouncing Trump less than four weeks before his inauguration guarantees that Trump won’t attend, even the virtual event. “The truth is, many of the agencies that are critical to our security have incurred enormous damage,” Biden said in Wilmington, without naming which agencies. “Many of them have been hollowed out in personnel capacity and in morale. The policy processes have atrophied or have been sidelined,” Biden said, making zero sense. Either Beiden read his notes wrong or the person writing the notes got it wrong. Suggesting that Trump’s deliberately withheld information from his transition team makes no sense. “Right now, we just aren’t getting the information that we need from the outgoing administration in key national security areas. It’s noth9ng short, in my view, of irresponsibility,” putting the blame on Trump.
Biden has as much access to the intel community on national defense issues as Trump, even if he can’t get what he wants from a transition team. There’s no definitive intel on the so-called Russian hacks on SolarWind’s network management software, used widely by government agencies. Biden lacks specificity, talking about which agencies have been “gutted” because there are none. When it comes to Russian hacks of SolarWinds, no one, including the FBI, CIA or National Security Agency [NSA] knows for sure what happened. Whatever reports from Biden’s transition team or the press about Trump’s Defense Department officials withholding information, there’s zero evidence that’s factual. Biden can talk about what “true,” but won’t say which DOD departments wouldn’t supply him with needed intel. Biden has full access to the House and Senate Intelligence Committees.
Why Biden’s making disparaging statements about the Trump administration is anyone’s guess. It violates protocol for a President-elect to continue slamming the incumbent, especially after he won the Nov. 3 election. Many people don’t think Biden’s playing with a full deck, something that makes sense when you consider his recent criticisms. Without naming departments or names, the whole matter or what he’s getting or not getting can’t be verified. Trump administration officials vehemently deny that any any agency has been withheld from Biden’s transition team. Bden keeps talking about rebuilding ties with European allies, something that also makes no sense. Whether European allies wanted to pay more to NATO or not, there’s no breach of trust between the U.S. and European Union. Joining the Paris Climate Accord should mend fences quickly.
When a devastating bomb exploded in Nashville on Christmas Day killing the bomb-maker, local, state and federal law enforcement have been busy trying to figure out the suspect and motive. “I want to thank the police Department in Nashville, particularly five police officers and first responders who helped save human lives,” Biden said. “I want the people of Nashville to know the hearts of the American people are with them,” after spending much of his campaign agreeing with the African American community demanding that police departments around the country get de-funded. While Biden, himself, denies that he ever agreed with de-fund the police demands, he also wasn’t endorsed by a single police department around the country because of his Party’s stand on law enforcement. Biden now acts simpatico with the brave men-and-women of law enforcement.
When major disasters, whether man made or natural, strike in communities around the country, it’s always the police that lend a helping hand to make communities safe. Biden’s backing by the African American community has demanded a quid pro quo now that he’s President-elect, calling in the favor. Whether Joe picks, like Obama, an African American attorney general is anyone’s guess. What’s known for sure is that certain African American groups, like Black Lives Matter, want payback after the election. Biden said he wants to be president for all the people, especially some 75 million voters that backed Trump. Continuing to lash out at Trump doesn’t help Biden’s cause of building bipartisan support, only reminds Trump’s supporters of how divided the country. If Biden really wants to reach out to both sides, he should stop campaigning now that he’s four weeks from inauguration.
