When asked on Tuesday if the State Department is preparing to work with President-elect Joe Biden's transition team, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo did not acknowledge that Biden is set to assume office.
"There will be a smooth transition to a second Trump administration," Pompeo said, echoing President Trump's baseless assertions he won the election.
The top American diplomat seemed to snicker at his comment, and went on to say that "the world is watching what is taking place here. We're going to count all the votes. … The world should have every confidence that the transition necessary to make sure the State Department is functional today, successful today, and successful with the president who's in office on Jan. 20th, a minute after noon."
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The world, anyway, appears to already be moving on, even if Trump administration officials are not. The U.K.'s Boris Johnson congratulated Biden on his victory Tuesday, joining other leaders like Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in acknowledging him as the next U.S. leader. Jeva Lange
-
Five policies from the Tory conferenceParty leader Kemi Badenoch has laid out the Conservative plan for a potential future government
-
A House of Dynamite: a ‘nail-biting’ nuclear-strike thrillerThe Week Recommends ‘Virtuoso talent’ Kathryn Bigelow directs a ‘fast-paced’ and ‘tense’ ‘symphony of dread’
-
The Finest Hotel in Kabul: a ‘haunting’ history of modern AfghanistanThe Week Recommends Lyse Doucet’s sensitively written work traces over 50 years of Kabul’s ‘Inter-Con’ hotel
-
Israel intercepts 2nd Gaza aid flotilla in a weekSpeed Read The Israeli military intercepted a flotilla of nine boats with 145 activists aboard along with medical and food aid
-
Japan poised to get first woman prime ministerSpeed Read The ruling Liberal Democratic Party elected former Economic Security Minister Sanae Takaichi
-
Israel and Hamas meet on hostages, Trump’s planSpeed Read Hamas accepted the general terms of Trump’s 20-point plan, including the release of all remaining hostages
-
US tipped to help Kyiv strike Russian energy sitesSpeed Read Trump has approved providing Ukraine with intelligence for missile strikes on Russian energy infrastructure
-
Netanyahu agrees to Trump’s new Gaza peace planSpeed Read At President Trump's meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, they agreed upon a plan to end Israel’s war in Gaza
-
Russia is ‘helping China’ prepare for an invasion of TaiwanIn the Spotlight Russia is reportedly allowing China access to military training
-
Moldova gives decisive win to pro-EU partySpeed Read The country is now on track to join the European Union within five years
-
Interpol arrests hundreds in Africa-wide sextortion crackdownIN THE SPOTLIGHT A series of stings disrupts major cybercrime operations as law enforcement estimates millions in losses from schemes designed to prey on lonely users
