See Disclaimer. This is the text of my letter to Emily Murphy, Administrator of the US General Services Administration (GSA). The letter was e-mailed on November 14, 2020. For expanded thoughts, see also To ascertain or not to ascertain.
Dear Administrator Murphy:
Donald J. Trump lost the 2020 presidential election by over 5 million popular votes, and lost the Electoral College by a large margin. The election has been declared fair by all objective observers, and no credible evidence of fraud has emerged. Even with an ongoing automatic recount in Georgia, there is no credible democratic path for Mr. Trump to be the US President, past noon on January 20, 2021.
At that time, Joe Biden will be sworn in as President, and will assume the responsibility to protect and defend all Americans–those who voted for him, those who voted for his opponent, and those who did not vote. It is incumbent upon us, regardless of political preferences, to stand firmly behind the principle and practice of an effective transition of power.
As the GSA Administrator, you have a unique responsibility on the transition. I ask that you fulfill it, by signing the letter recognizing Mr. Biden as the President-elect. Through that letter, you will be authorizing that he receives all federally mandated transition resources, including funding and access to government officials, office space, equipment and data.
As you certainly know, your letter will not confirm the election of Mr. Biden (that’s a different process, in which you play no role). Your letter will also not preclude Mr. Trump from pursuing legal challenges, chimeric as all evidence suggests that they are. What your letter does is to activate the conditions for an informed and functional government to be in place the moment Mr. Biden is sworn in.
This should not be controversial. Compromising an effective transition of power poses major risks to our nation, most urgently for national security and the COVID-19 crisis. By obstructing the transition, the president is gravely failing his duty to America.
Please do not fail yours. For the good of our country, and the safety of all Americans, please do not further delay the transition letter that you have the full power and responsibility to write.
Respectfully,
— Antonio Baptista
Outside the box 
1 Comment