An anonymous senior Trump campaign advisor said Trump 'basically just conceded' by 'recommending' that the GSA start the Biden-Harris transition

• An anonymous senior Trump campaign advisor told The Washington Post that President Donald Trump "basically just conceded" by tweeting support for allowing the Biden-Harris transition to officially begin.
• The Trump-appointed head of the General Services Administration had sent a letter earlier Monday to President-elect Joe Biden allowing him to access resources to begin the presidential transition.
• Soon after news outlets began to report on the letter, Trump tweeted thanks to the GSA head, Emily Murphy, and endorsed her team at the GSA and his administration beginning the transition. He indicated he still planned to fight the election result, saying "I believe we will prevail!"
• "He basically just conceded," the unnamed advisor told The Post. "That's as close to a concession as you will probably get."

An anonymous senior Trump campaign advisor told The Washington Post that President Donald Trump had all but conceded the 2020 election with his Monday-night tweets recommending the start of the Biden-Harris transition.

Emily Murphy, the Trump-appointed head of the independent General Services Administration, sent a letter earlier Monday to President-elect Joe Biden allowing him to access resources to begin the presidential transition.

"As the Administrator of the US General Services Administration, I have the ability under the Presidential Transition Act of 1963, as amended, to make certain post-election resources and services available to assist in the event of a presidential transition," Murphy wrote in the letter.

"I take this role seriously and, because of recent developments involving legal challenges and certifications of election results, am transmitting this letter today to make those resources and services available to you," she wrote.

Though she made the resources available to Biden, she did not acknowledge his victory in the November election, nor did she refer to him as president-elect.

"The actual winner of the presidential election will be determined by the electoral process detailed in the Constitution," Murphy continued in the letter.

Soon after news outlets began to report on Murphy's letter, Trump tweeted his thanks to Murphy for "her steadfast dedication and loyalty to our Country" and suggested her team at the GSA and his administration begin the transition to Biden. At the same time, he indicated plans to continue challenging the election result.

"Our case STRONGLY continues, we will keep up the good fight, and I believe we will prevail!" the president wrote. "Nevertheless, in the best interest of our Country, I am recommending that Emily and her team do what needs to be done with regard to initial protocols, and have told my team to do the same."

The senior Trump campaign official, who spoke with The Post on the condition of anonymity, characterized the president's tweets as a concession.

"He basically just conceded," the advisor said. "That's as close to a concession as you will probably get."

The Trump campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The president and his supporters have been challenging election results in numerous states with conspiracy theories related to voter fraud, election fraud, and mail-in voting. Trump's legal team has yet to provide evidence to back its claims of fraud.

Some of the lawsuits filed to block certifying the election results have been dismissed in federal courts.