Team Trump signs pact with Biden White House, but no word on FBI checks of Cabinet picks

The Trump transition team, led by incoming chief of staff Susie Wiles, signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Biden White House on Tuesday — a move that clears the way for coordination with the federal agencies they will soon take over, according to Politico. However, the Trump team is yet to sign an agreement with the Department of Justice (DOJ) for FBI background checks on Cabinet nominees, and start processing their security clearances ahead of the Inauguration Day.

The Trump team’s delay in signing these agreements, weeks after winning the election, raised concerns among former officials and ethics experts. They warned it could cause conflicts of interest and leave the new government unprepared to start on Day One.

The second presidency of Donald Trump is set to begin on January 20, 2025, when he will be sworn in as the 47th President of the United States after defeating Kamala Harris. Trump will succeed Joe Biden, while JD Vance will succeed Kamala Harris as Vice President.

The Trump team also said that the Trump transition will not sign a separate agreement with the General Services Administration (GSA), which would have provided federal funding, cybersecurity support, and office space, but instead, they plan to use private funds, operate from private locations, and rely on their own security measures to protect sensitive data, reported Politico.

“We will operate as a self-sufficient organisation,” Wiles explained, noting that this approach would “save taxpayers’ hard-earned money”, reported Politico.

Despite these measures, experts are worried about the risks.

Heath Brown, a public policy professor at CUNY’s John Jay College, pointed out the critical need for proper cybersecurity protection, given the potential for hacking.

“It’s imperative that the Trump Transition Team has installed the proper procedures to protect itself,” Brown said, recalling the hacking concerns during the 2020 Biden transition.

White House spokesperson Saloni Sharma also expressed concerns about the decision to forgo GSA support, but reaffirmed the administration’s commitment to an orderly transition.

“While we do not agree with the Trump transition team’s decision to forgo signing the GSA MOU, we will follow the purpose of the Presidential Transition Act,” she said. “Any disruption occasioned by the transfer of the executive power could produce results detrimental to the safety and wellbeing of the United States and its people,” reported Politico.

In addition to cybersecurity concerns, the Trump transition will also have to give the White House the names and current employees who will be serving on their “landing teams” — groups that help incoming Cabinet members navigate federal agencies.

These teams will work to familiarise new appointees with agency operations, budgets, and staffing.

However, people in both parties who previously led federal agencies have warned that the delay in transition planning could leave the new administration unprepared, particularly as many of Trump’s nominees lack government experience, reported Politico.

Both Democratic and Republican members of Congress have expressed concern over the lack of FBI background checks, warning it could delay the confirmation of Trump’s Cabinet nominees.

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