The administration has been cooperative so far, but President Trump has given mixed messages on whether he would commit to a smooth transfer of power if he loses

WASHINGTONSenior advisers to Joe Biden are preparing for the possibility that the Trump administration will throw up roadblocks to Mr. Bidens transition to the presidency if he wins the election, according to people familiar with the internal discussions. Capital Journal
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Mr. Bidens transition team, a low-profile group of policy experts tasked with making sure the former vice president is ready to take office, has crafted alternative plans if President Trumpwho has given mixed messages on whether he would commit to a peaceful transfer of powerrefuses to comply with requirements that a president-elects team be allowed into federal agencies ahead of Inauguration Day. The team is also planning for a scenario in which the Trump administration declines to share resources or provide briefings seen as crucial for a smooth transition of power, the people said.
So far, these worst-case scenarios havent come to pass, people close to the Biden campaign and transition said, adding that the former vice president has received classified briefings and lower-level Trump administration officials have been professional in initial interactions with the team.
Transition officials have been planning for various scenarios. So far, the pre-election process has run smoothly, said a person familiar with Mr. Bidens transition planning.
Asked for comment, a White House official said, Were following all statutory requirements.
Mr. Trump has said he wants a peaceful transfer of power if he loses, but has equivocated about whether he will commit to one. Were going to have to see what happens, he said last month. At an NBC News town hall last week, Mr. Trump said he would accept a peaceful transition, but I want it to be an honest election. He has repeatedly suggested that the election results cant be trusted.
A lot of corrupt stuff going on, Mr. Trump said about the voting process during a Michigan rally this week. Mr. Trump has said several times that an increase in mail-in balloting would lead to widespread fraud. Researchers have found instances of absentee-voter fraud, but studies show it isnt widespread and election officials say they employ safeguards against it.
President Trump wouldnt commit to a peaceful transfer of power and linked the rush to fill the Supreme Court vacancy to a possible election dispute. Lawmakers from both sides of the aisle called his comments unacceptable. Photo: Evan Vucci/Associated Press (Originally Published September 24, 2020)
Under federal law, a president-elects transition team is granted broad access to the federal government in the roughly 2½ months until a new president takes over. Career officials at federal agencies work with the transition teams to get them up to speed on policy issues and ensure they are ready to begin governing on Day One. A person familiar with the matter said Biden transition officials have discussed legal options if the Trump administration doesnt meet its obligations.
Uncertainty about the election results could complicate a transition. Mr. Bidens transition team has discussed scenarios in which the results are unknown for weeks, a person familiar with the discussions said. I think [the election] will end up in the Supreme Court, Mr. Trump said in September.
There is precedent for a messy transition where the results arent known right away. George W. Bush wasnt declared the president-elect in 2000 until Dec. 12, after the Supreme Court suspended the count of disputed ballots in Florida.
Still, he made good use of the time leading up to the results becoming official, said Martha Kumar, a scholar who specializes in presidential transitions. While the rest of the public waited for election results, Mr. Bush holed up at his ranch in Texas and planned out his team and what issues he would work on. Once he was declared the winner, his transition team moved quickly to make up for lost time. He had a cabinet in place before he took office and policy initiatives ready for the early days of his presidency.
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Messrs. Biden and Trump both have assembled transition teams that have been working quietly for months on what happens after the race is called.
In Mr. Bidens case, the transition team is preparing to fill out an entire administration and turn his campaign promises into policy. Biden transition officials have said the coronavirus pandemic has factored into much of the planning, as it is likely to still be occurring if he takes office in January.
Meanwhile Mr. Trumps team has a smaller task of fleshing out a second-term agenda because much of the administration structure would remain in place. White House officials have said their team is focused on how to move the presidents agenda through Congress and is preparing for all options on the makeup of the House and Senate.
Chris Lu, the executive director of the Obama-Biden transition in 2008, said it is smart to plan for all scenarioseven far-fetched ones. Still, his team was always confident the Bush administration would cooperate since then-President Bush made clear early on he wanted a seamless transition regardless of who won.
Mr. Lu said the Bush administration was quick to formalize Mr. Obamas win and set in motion the transition. The same night Mr. Obama was declared the winner, Mr. Lu said, then-General Services Administration Acting Administrator James Williams called Mr. Lu to talk through next steps, but an exhausted Mr. Lu had fallen asleep on the couch after the results were announced.
Within hours of the race being called, Mr. Williams signed a GSA letter certifying Mr. Obama as the president-elect and notified Mr. Obamas team, Mr. Lu said. We are committed to providing you with superior workplaces, quality acquisition services, expert business solutions and responsible asset management, the letter said.
The Obama-Bush transition is seen as a model for changing power during a crisis. At the end of November 2008, Bush administration officials held a meeting in Treasury Secretary Henry Paulsons office with members of Mr. Obamas incoming financial team to talk about the financial crisis in the auto industry.
No coordinated policy came from that meeting, but at least the incoming and outgoing officials set a precedent of meeting together to tackle important issues, Ms. Kumar wrote in Before the Oath, her book about the 2008 transition.
Ms. Kumar said the Obama-Bush transitions success came in part because it took place at the end of eight years under Mr. Bush.
Its a lot easier to have a smooth transition when you know youre going to transition out of office, as do the people who are working for you. When its after a failed re-election bid thats another matter, she said.
Write to Andrew Restuccia at Andrew.Restuccia@wsj.com and Eliza Collins at eliza.collins@wsj.com.
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