Joe Biden Says More People May Die If Trump Keeps Obstructing Transition

President-elect Joe Biden said Monday that the biggest threat posed by President Donald Trumps refusal to cooperate with Bidens transition team is that more people may die if he cant access the outgoing administrations COVID-19 vaccine distribution plans.

When Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris delivered remarks on the economy in Wilmington, Delaware, an NBC reporter asked Biden what he saw as the biggest threat to his transition, given President Trumps unprecedented attempt to obstruct and delay a smooth transfer of power.

More people may die if we dont coordinate, Biden answered. As my chief of staff, Ron Klain, would say a vaccine is important. Its of little use until youre vaccinated. So how do we get the vaccine, how do we get over 300 million Americans vaccinated? Whats the game plan?

Q: \"What do you see as the biggest threat to your transition right now given President Trump's unprecedented attempt to obstruct and delay a smooth transfer of power?\"

President-Elect Biden: \"More people may die if we don't coordinate.\"

Full video: https://t.co/WANwvEyYLg pic.twitter.com/ZvJ6FiCi1s

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Q: "What do you see as the biggest threat to your transition right now given President Trump's unprecedented attempt to obstruct and delay a smooth transfer of power?"

President-Elect Biden: "More people may die if we don't coordinate."

Full video: https://t.co/WANwvEyYLg pic.twitter.com/ZvJ6FiCi1s
CSPAN (@cspan) November 16, 2020

Trump has refused to concede the election , despite all major media networks projecting Biden, who is far ahead in both the popular and electoral votes , as the winner. Trumps campaign continues to allege voter fraud and ballot-counting irregularities, but lacks the evidence to prove it.

The Trump-appointed head of the General Services Administration has refused to acknowledge Biden as the president-elect , obstructing his teams access to necessary funds, offices and personnel that would facilitate a smooth transfer of power.

Part of that transition includes sharing vital information from Operation Warp Speed , the Trump administrations program that facilitates and accelerates the development, manufacturing and distribution of COVID-19 vaccines .

Its a huge, huge, huge undertaking to get it done, prioritize those greatest in need, and work our way through it and also cooperate with the World Health Organization and the rest of the world in dealing with this, Biden said.

If we have to wait until Jan. 20 to start that planning, it puts us behind over a month, month and a half, he explained. So its important that it be done, that there be coordination now, or as rapidly as we can get that done.

In his remarks on Monday, the president-elect also implored Americans to continue wearing face masks as the nation heads into the winter with COVID-19 cases surging .

President-Elect Biden: \"There's nothing macho about not wearing a mask.\"

Full video: https://t.co/WANwvEyYLg pic.twitter.com/7SwkpYST7w

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President-Elect Biden: "There's nothing macho about not wearing a mask."

Full video: https://t.co/WANwvEyYLg pic.twitter.com/7SwkpYST7w
CSPAN (@cspan) November 16, 2020

Its about patriotism, Biden said of wearing masks to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. Its about being patriotic. Its about saving lives, for real; its not a hyperbole.

Meanwhile, Trump and many Republican leaders claim that mask mandates take away Americans freedoms and dont make a difference in curbing the virus spread. Public health experts have long said that wearing a mask can help stop the spread of the virus and save lives.

I strongly urge you to do it, Biden said. Theres nothing macho about not wearing a mask.

Everyone deserves accurate information about COVID-19. Support journalism without a paywall and keep it free for everyone by becoming a HuffPost member today.

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