It was at a press conference on Tuesday that Pompeo was asked if he had had any contacts with incoming President Joe Biden's team.

"It will be a frictionless transition to a second Trump administration," the US Secretary of State replied.

"The outside world can feel completely confident that the transition that establishes the Foreign Ministry today will also be operational one minute after 12 noon on January 20," Pompeo continued, referring to the time when the next term president is sworn in.

Many of the world's leaders, not just allies of the United States, have congratulated Democrat Joe Biden on his victory in the presidential election a week ago.

But Donald Trump refuses to accept that he would have lost the battle for the presidency and has since last week's election repeatedly claimed that there was cheating and that he was "robbed" of the victory.