President-elect Donald Trump has yet to complete mandatory ethics agreements with the Biden administration, essential for initiating the presidential transition, CNN reports. The delay, attributed partly to the ethics pledge, could hinder critical transition briefings and poses potential national security risks.
The Presidential Transition Act mandates these agreements, including an ethics pledge to avoid conflicts of interest—an update introduced by Trump ally Sen. Ron Johnson and signed into law by Trump in 2020. However, Trump’s team remains behind on accessing essential federal resources, security clearances, and classified briefings.
Despite missed deadlines in September and October for agreements with the General Services Administration (GSA) and the White House, Trump’s team is focused on vetting top Cabinet positions. According to a Trump adviser, they plan to sign the ethics pledge but did not specify a timeline, downplaying concerns about the delayed transition.
Experts warn of the severe consequences of this delay. Max Stier, CEO of the Partnership for Public Service, highlighted the vulnerability during transitions, emphasizing that a lack of agency briefings risks leaving the new administration unprepared. Without these briefings, Trump’s team may not be ready to govern effectively from Day 1, impacting both domestic and international operations.
National security experts, including Partnership for Public Service officials, stress that the absence of a timely transition is a significant risk. “The transition period is a point of maximum vulnerability,” Stier warned, adding, “It is simply not possible to be ready to govern safely without engaging in prework with federal agencies.”
White House Chief of Staff Jeff Zients has communicated to the Trump transition team the importance of finalizing these agreements, reiterating the Biden administration’s commitment to an orderly transition.
Congressional leaders like Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD), Ranking Member of the House Oversight Committee, have voiced similar concerns. Raskin recently cautioned Trump that missing these deadlines undermines government continuity, stating, “Ignoring transition deadlines threatens our national security.”
If Trump’s team continues to delay, analysts fear a chaotic transition, mirroring the challenges seen during the contested 2000 election, which later contributed to issues highlighted in the 9/11 Commission Report. The delay risks leaving critical gaps in government readiness at a crucial time for national security.
