After weeks of delay and only five weeks until inauguration day, President Donald Trump’s administration has officially authorized Joe Biden’s transition to be the 46th president of the United States. Though this authorization is late, it’s no surprise to many. Trump has said multiple times, on record, that if Joe Biden won the election, he would not commit to a peaceful transfer of power.

This delay has numerous implications. For example, is Trump ready to put the entire country’s safety at risk because he refuses to acknowledge his defeat? The answer is yes.

It has been over a month since the 2020 presidential election was called. Though the transition was authorized on Nov. 23, Trump has continued to order numerous recounts and spend millions of dollars on lawsuits. 74 percent of votes cast in this election were placed during the early voting period, whether that be via absentee ballot or in person. Trump told reporters that mail-in ballots are a “disaster” and “out of control.” These false sentiments aim to sow seeds of distrust in the mail-in ballot system, a notoriously Russian tactic.

“By Trump making it seem as if the mail in ballots are illegitimate, it creates mistrust among Americans and suggests that the government is corrupt,” said first-year Guilford student Jesus Peralta Porras. “This may potentially discourage future voters from voting because they don’t think their vote matters.”

“We want to make sure the election is honest, and I’m not sure that it can be,” Trump told reporters on Sept. 24. “I don’t know that it can be with this whole situation — unsolicited ballots. They’re unsolicited; millions being sent to everybody.”

Porras shared that he finds Trump’s rhetoric about mail in voting distressing.

“In all honesty, it’s extremely alarming that the president of the United States is trying to limit the people’s civic duty of voting,” Porras said. “Not only is he advocating for a corrupt democracy where everyone’s voice isn’t being heard, but he’s limiting the rights of the American people by not letting them exercise their right to vote.”

This peaceful authorization of power is far more dire than many may realize.

In 2010, the Pre-Election Presidential Transition Act of 2010 was passed. This act created the General Services Administration, also known as the GSA. This administration provides potential presidential transition teams with office space, facilities, funding for transition staff and, for the incoming president, access to government services.

Emily Murphy, the administrator of the GSA, said she is making available the millions of dollars and the various resources the Biden administration may need to begin a smooth transfer to the White House. While this announcement comes late, the administrator said she was not pressured to release or withhold this statement. Even then, Murphy was appointed by Trump and refuses to release more than $6 million to assist in his transition.

Darren Brady, a first-year student, feels there is more to the transition than is being reported.

“I feel like most of the stuff I hear is about Trump refusing to concede… And Biden is fully prepared to take office so I think Trump may be doing stuff we don’t know about. There’s a possibility for conflict,” Brady explained.

Trump’s objections have delayed the transition and Biden’s access to crucial documents that would inform his team of major national security issues and the current pandemic the country is facing. Biden’s unawareness of intelligence issues could cause major issues in the future. The period between administrations is an attractive weak spot for terrorist groups and major national security threats. During this weak point and confusion, foreign enemies may take advantage of Trump’s hesitation to admit his defeat and launch attacks.

When Donald Trump and the GOP refuse to acknowledge Biden’s win, they are refusing to acknowledge a society governed by law instead of by individuals. This is unprecedented. From the beginning of our history as a country, there is an unbroken tradition of transferring power when another president is elected.

Brad Clarke, the vice president of the Guilford College Republicans, acknowledged the current administration’s hesitancy to transfer power. He, like many Americans, wants the government to explore the possibility of fraud.

“There are more accusations of fraud about this election than ever before,” Clarke said. “It is completely appropriate to be cautious about starting a transitioning team until everything is said and done. The Democratic party has spent the last four years claiming Trump’s election was invalid—Russia Gate was proven to be false, but now it’s unpatriotic to question the validity of the election?”

Clarke wanted to emphasize that in this statement, he voiced his personal opinion and not the views of the Guilford College Republicans club at large. The club has many members, all with different views on different issues.

“Honestly, (blaming the election results on election fraud) is childish and immature,” said first-year Jailene Trejo Garcia. “When Donald Trump won the last election, a lot of people were upset and sad. Biden won because voters saw better opportunities and thought it would be better for the country if he was president.”