Trump’s Transition Delays Raise National Security Concerns as Harris Team Moves Forward

During the transition process, the GOP’s failure to respect deadlines has raised the issue of national security threats, whereas, the Democrats, through Vice President Kamala Harris, work to prepare for the possibility of a changed administration.

Failure to meet scheduled plans and security consequences

The Trump campaign has missed two important milestones in the transition process of the presidency. Specifically, by September 1, campaigns were to enter into a memorandum of understanding with the General Services Administration (GSA) in which they were to be provided with relevant resources and logistical support. Also, an October 1 deadline for completing an arrangement with the White House on providing access to agencies has expired. These delays are unprecedented in Trump’s – different from many past nominees – active transition planning since May 2016, with the initial transition staff selected led by former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie.

But what these delays mean goes beyond procedural issues. The future president is going to deal with crucial issues such as the 2024 hurricane season consequences, global war, and economic risks. It means that without sufficient transition preparation, the new team is unlikely to respond adequately to these challenges starting on the first day of their presidency which might lead to a threat to national security. Scholars have gone further to explain that presidential transitions that are seamless have been linked with efficiency in the past.

Harris Team’s Proactive Strategy

While Trump’s team has shown little interest in the transition process, the Harris campaign is fully involved. While headed by Yohannes Abraham, who was previously in charge of Biden’s transition, the team has written both memos of understanding as well as submitted their ethics plan. This makes sure that they have access to other government resources, briefs, and other information that is required in case of a transfer of power.

The Biden administration has been a transition since 2023, though it stepped up in early 2024. Every federal agency has been instructed to have completed the organizational briefing materials by November 1 inclusive of such areas as the structure, movement, and other information that is considered to be operationally essential. This might be logical since the Harris team would prefer continuity with the current administration, which is apparently why they are not making key personnel decisions until after the election; even changes that are unlikely to occur until the next year are reportedly partly contingent on the composition of the Senate.