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A person close to Biden’s transition team told CNN that no decision has been made on how these sensitive documents will be handled when the president-elect takes office on January 20, and that it is likely that they will maintain the Trump administration’s tight grip on this information. , at least initially, until they’re settled and Jake Sullivan, Biden’s choice for national security adviser, can assess their information security needs.
While Biden’s team will likely aim to be more transparent, a lot has changed since many of his senior officials were in government, and the politically charged atmosphere in Washington following the election has made some officials cautious. during the first few months, to avoid leaks and assess the needs and limitations of sharing sensitive information.
When HR McMaster took over as Trump’s second national security adviser, a month after taking office in February 2017, mailing lists shrank, officials said, although a few people could still access the files of the traditional computer portal of the National Security Council, which managed everything. with the exception of operational information from the CIA, an official explained.
White House officials also decided to drastically limit the number of people who could listen to many of Trump’s calls, or who could access tapes after those calls are concluded, the people said.
“It is probably wise to keep some control”
“The point is, too many people probably had access to it when Trump took office – in some ways it was good, but in some ways it can also be bad,” a former administration official said. close to the transition team. “Given the politically charged environment we find ourselves in right now, it’s probably wise to keep some control over this, but perhaps not in the form of a secret server.”
There are rapidly evolving issues where military policies or technologies have changed in the four years since Biden’s political team left the government, particularly, as it relates to China and Turkey, which the current US official has said he is a priority in discussions with Biden’s landing teams. .
The official said basic details of Trump’s conversations with foreign leaders such as Russian President Vladimir Putin and Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman will only be shared if they are relevant to pending policy. or a matter of national security.
“There is a lot to cover,” the senior US official said. “We’re going to share whatever is relevant so that they can grasp reality when the keys are theirs. If there was anything like that that is really worth noting … things on the secret side, for example, we will highlight them very quickly. “
Biden’s transition team did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Biden to start receiving daily presidential briefings on Monday
Biden is expected to start receiving daily presidential briefings on Monday, a courtesy traditionally given to the president-elect, which has been delayed for nearly four weeks due to Trump’s refusal to concede.
Meanwhile, binders have been created for transition activities, especially as it relates to work at the National Security Council, with details on how the Main Coordinating Committee, a key interagency meeting and other types of meetings are being conducted, the official said, noting that the Biden team is very experienced in these meetings and does not need any information.
“The binders are BS,” the official admitted, but said they had been preparing and updating them for several weeks, in case Trump loses the election.
Military operations is another area where the NSC, in addition to the Department of Defense, will need to brief the landing team in detail, especially given new emerging technologies that Biden officials may not be familiar with. not quite aware.
The official noted that the new National Security Advisor Sullivan is “not a defense guy,” so some issues related to sensitive satellite programs and China-related defenses will be important to discuss in depth with him and the government. landing team.
Trump’s national security adviser Robert O’Brien and his deputy Matthew Pottinger will hold “at least a meeting or two” with Sullivan and his deputy, the official said. The NSC and the Biden Landing Team will then discuss the need for briefings from the various NSC branches.
The official noted that all briefings related to the coronavirus response will likely be handled by the White House Coronavirus Task Force and HHS, not the National Security Council.
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