US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Tuesday expressed confidence that once every "legal" vote was counted, it would lead to a "second term for the Trump administration," apparently rejecting Democratic candidate Joe Biden's victory over President Donald Trump.
Pompeo said at a State Department press conference that there will be a smooth transition of power to a second administration for President Trump, and that the State Department will secure a transition that makes its role effective and successful with the next president taking office, just as it is today.
When asked whether Trump's refusal to concede defeat was hindering the State Department's efforts to promote free and fair elections abroad, Pompeo, a close and designated ally of Trump, said, "This department takes a keen interest in ensuring that elections around the world are safe, free and fair."
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced that next Friday he will start a foreign tour that includes several countries, including Qatar, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Israel and France.
Pompeo added that his talks during this round will focus on the US administration's efforts to establish peace and cooperation throughout the Middle East.
For his part, the chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee said Pompeo should not go along with the dangerous attack on the legitimacy of the elections.
CNN reported that US State Department officials were shocked and confused by Pompeo's statements on the transition.
She added that US diplomats had not received any guidance from the State Department on how to discuss the election results.
Dangerous statement
In response to Pompeo, Democratic Senator Bob Menendez described the statement made by the US Secretary of State regarding a smooth transition of power to the administration of President Donald Trump as dangerous, and said that no official should joke about respecting the democratic process.
Menendez added in a tweet on Twitter that the United States needs a minister focused on restoring American leadership and rebuilding the diplomatic corps for the safety and security of all Americans.
Budget for 2021
The Washington Post quoted administration officials as saying that the White House Budget Office has instructed federal agencies to continue preparing the administration's budget proposal for next year's finances.
The officials added to the newspaper that the decision caused alarm to a number of employees in those agencies, given Joe Biden's victory in the presidential elections, as his administration is expected to submit a budget plan early next year.
The Washington Post also quoted a spokesperson for the Budget Office as saying that the fiscal year 2021 budget process is going as planned.
The newspaper reported that the White House budget proposal is usually released in February, that is, at least two weeks after the departure of the outgoing president.