Joe Biden spoke to several world leaders Tuesday—but President Trump was not among them. The president-elect described Trump's refusal to concede the election as an "embarrassment" and warned that it would tarnish the Republican's legacy, Politico reports. "I just think it's an embarrassment, quite frankly," Biden told reporters following remarks on the Affordable Care Act case before the Supreme Court. "How can I say this tactfully? It will not help the president’s legacy," he said. "I know from my discussions with foreign leaders thus far that they are hopeful the United States' democratic institutions are viewed once again as being strong," Biden said, per the BBC.
With Trump refusing to acknowledge Biden's victory, alleging election fraud, the president-elect has been blocked from receiving transition funding and intelligence briefings, the AP reports. Biden said Tuesday that while additional briefings would be "useful," the GOP resistance "does not change the dynamic at all in what we’re able to do." Biden's transition team says he spoke to six world leaders Wednesday, including British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, and German Chancellor Angela Merkel. The New York Times reports that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, one of the leaders who had initially held off on acknowledging Biden's win, congratulated the president-elect Tuesday. (Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Tuesday that the only transition will be to a second Trump administration.)
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