Biden accuses Trump’s defense department and budget office of ‘obstruction’

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  • President-elect Joe Biden on Monday said that his transition team is facing ongoing roadblocks from President Trump’s political leadership at the Pentagon and Office of Management and Budget. 
  • “Right now, we just aren’t getting all the information we need from the outgoing administration in key national security areas,” Biden said.
  • Biden over the past week has repeatedly expressed concern about the lack of access he’s received at the Pentagon as the US deals with the SolarWinds hack and amid tensions with Iran. 
  • The Pentagon has pushed back on the claim that officials are stonewalling Biden. 
  • Visit Business Insider’s homepage for more stories.

President-elect Joe Biden accused President Donald Trump’s political appointees at both the Department of Defense and the Office of Management and Budget of “obstruction” and refusing to provide key information to his presidential transition team during remarks in Delaware on Monday. 

“We have encountered roadblocks from the political leadership at the Department of Defense and the Office of Management and Budget,” Biden said during prepared remarks after a briefing from his national security advisers. 

“Right now, we just aren’t getting all the information we need from the outgoing administration in key national security areas,” he said. “It’s nothing short, in my view, of irresponsibility.” 

The Pentagon and Office of Management and Budget did not immediately respond to requests for comment from Insider.

“My team needs a clear picture of our force posture around the world and our operations to deter our enemies,” Biden said. “We need full visibility into the budget planning under way at the defense department and other agencies in order to avoid any window of confusion or catchup that our adversaries may exploit.”

This comes after Biden said last week that the Pentagon has refused to brief his national security team on several key issues, including the massive suspected Russian cyberattack on the US government this year. And Acting Secretary of Defense Chris Miller ordered his department to cancel meetings with the Biden transition team, Axios reported earlier…

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