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Joe Biden says Trump administration making 'sincere' efforts for transition
United States President-elect Joe Biden said that the outgoing President Trump's administration has started reaching out to his transition team. In the first sit-down interview since the 2020 US election, Biden described the Trump administration's efforts as "sincere." Biden, who had served as Vice President in the Obama administration, also said that his time in office would not be a "third Obama term."
'Not a third Obama term; we face a different world'
Biden sat down with NBC News' Lester Holt for an interview on Tuesday. Shortly before, Biden had announced several of his nominees for Cabinet posts. When asked if he is trying to create a "third Obama term," Biden replied, "This is not a third Obama term. We face a totally different world than we faced in the Obama-Biden administration," saying Trump had "changed the landscape."
Would consider nominating Trump voter to Cabinet, says Biden
Biden—who said he has not spoken directly with President Donald Trump since the race was called—said, "President Trump has changed the landscape. It's become America first. It's been America alone." Biden said his administration aims to represent the "spectrum of the American people as well as the spectrum of the Democratic party," adding that he would consider appointing a Republican who voted for Trump.
'Nothing off the table' on Cabinet appointments
"There's nothing really off the table," Biden said when asked if he had consulted with progressive senators Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders on Cabinet appointments. However, he said that taking someone out of the Senate of the House is a "really difficult decision."
Biden to push for immigration reform, COVID-19 relief
During his first 100 days in office, Biden said he wants to push immigration reform and COVID-19 relief through Congress. He said he would also move to do away with some "damaging executive orders" that have "significantly impacted on making the climate worse and making us less healthy, from methane to a whole range of things the President has done."
Biden says he wouldn't investigate Trump
However, Biden said he would not investigate Trump and his allies over the President's financial dealings, and alleged foreign interference in the election. "I will not do what this President does and use the Justice Department as my vehicle to insist that something happened," he said, adding that he is focused on assuring the American public that "they can make it."
Trump's administration's outreach for transition sincere: Biden
Biden further said that the Trump administration has reached out to coordinate a transition. "And I must say the outreach has been sincere—it has not been begrudging so far, and I don't expect it to be," he added. "They're already working out my ability to get Presidential Daily Briefs," he said, even as Trump has refused to concede, alleging fraud in the election.
'Already working out meeting with COVID team'
Further, Biden said, "We're already working out meeting with the COVID team in the White House and how to not only distribute but go from a vaccine being distributed to a person able to get vaccinated." "So I think we're going to not be so far behind the curve as we thought we might be in the past," he said.
