Biden 'doing everything possible' to make transition difficult: Trump

Washington: US President-elect Donald Trump has accused Joe Biden of making the presidential transition difficult, citing recent executive orders on climate and other official acts being taken by him in his last weeks as president.

Trump, 78, is slated to be sworn in as the 47th President of the United States on January 20. He replaces Biden as the new occupant of the White House, the official residence of the US President.

“Biden is doing everything possible to make the TRANSITION as difficult as possible, from Lawfare such as has never been seen before, to costly and ridiculous Executive Orders on the Green New Scam and other money wasting Hoaxes,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social.

“Fear not, these “Orders” will all be terminated shortly, and we will become a Nation of Common Sense and Strength. MAGA!!!” said the president-elect.

Trump issued the statement shortly before Congress certified his victory in the Electoral College — and after Biden, 82, banned drilling for oil and natural gas off most of America’s coastline, with the total area covered by the order greater than the land of Alaska and Texas combined.

Biden announced earlier Monday he would block new drilling off the entire East Coast, as well as California, Oregon and Washington state, and block some drilling off Alaska’s coast in portions of the Northern Bering Sea and in the eastern Gulf of Mexico.

Biden made the move just two weeks before Trump, who has promised to promote domestic energy production, is sworn in.

Trump vowed to undo Biden’s recent executive orders, though it’s unclear if he would be able to reverse the decision to block oil drilling, considering he was blocked in 2019 when he tried to reinstate drilling in areas blocked off by former President Barack Obama.

Despite Trump’s assertion that Biden’s White House has not been helpful during the transition, his incoming chief of staff Susie Wiles has said otherwise. She told in an interview published Monday the White House has been helpful during the transition process.

“White House chief of staff Jeff Zients has been very helpful. He has made great suggestions, helped make sure we stay on time with required functions, helped us navigate the labyrinth that is the Executive Office of the President, and been very professional,” she said.

“He introduced me to the ‘former chief of staff club’ and even hosted a dinner (for Wiles and the former chiefs) at his beautiful home,” Wiles added.

The Trump transition last month reached agreements on matters such as background checks for incoming officials, after uneasy Republicans noted the quartet of criminal cases lodged against Trump, which the former and future president says were politically motivated to derail his return to the White House.