Republican Oklahoma Senator James Lankford has revealed he “will get involved” if President Trump does not begin sharing intelligence briefings with President-elect Joe Biden by Friday. The Republican Senator believes that Biden should be given the briefings so that both parties are prepared no matter how the election truly turns out.
Currently, President Trump is contesting the election results in multiple battleground states and has filled multiple legal challenges regarding ballot observation measures and voter fraud. Though multiple media outlets have prematurely called the election for Democrat Joe Biden the election has yet to be certified by the General Services Administration. Intelligence briefings typically are not shared until the GSA certifies the election results, the earliest of which may occur Friday.
The Washington Examiner writes:
“There’s nothing wrong with Vice President Biden getting the briefings to be able to prepare himself,” Lankford said. “And if that’s not occurring by Friday, I will step in as well … and say that this needs to occur so that regardless of the outcome of the election, whichever way that it goes, people can be ready for that actual task.”
“The GSA has to certify that election to start turning it around, the first day they can do that on the calendar is Friday, and when that occurs, they should actually step in,” Lankford said. “And I would tell you, I’m on the committee of oversight — I’ve already started engaging in this area.”
Lankford said he looked to the 2000 election between Al Gore and George W. Bush to determine whether Biden should be receiving briefings by now.
“My first question was, ‘In 2000, what occurred in 2000 during that whole challenge?'” he asked. “And what happened was President Clinton made available to … George Bush, the governor at that point, still in the process of running, the availability to start getting those briefings and to do that.”
Senator Lankford is one of many Republicans calling for a smooth transition of power between President Trump and President-elect Biden if the election’s results remain in place.
