‘Whenever they’re interested:’ Agencies say they are ready and waiting to bring Trump’s team up to speed

Federal agencies across government say they are standing by to brief President-elect Trump’s incoming administration, if the former and future president chooses to participate in the process. 

Trump has so far opted out of the official transition process, declining to sign agreements with the White House and General Services Administration that would allow his team to accept government office space, receive government emails and deploy into agencies to collect and solicit information about their current operations.

Absent those agreements, Valerie Smith Boyd, who has worked closely with agencies and the transition teams as head of the Partnership for Public Service’s Center for Presidential Transition, recently told Government Executive, “There is really no obligation or mechanism to meet with Trump’s team.” 

That has not stopped agencies from engaging in transition planning, including by preparing briefing materials and naming career senior executives to oversee the efforts. 

Following guidance from GSA and the Office of Management and Budget, agency officials said, the executive branch has not engaged with Trump transition personnel in any formal capacity. Communication has continued at a high level, with White House Chief of Staff Jeff Zients maintaining conversation with Trump’s team and President Biden’s national security advisor, Jake Sullivan, meeting with his incoming counterpart, Rep. Mike Waltz, R-Fla. 

At the agency level, however, there remains no contact. 

A State Department official, for example, said the agency is standing by and “fully prepared to brief members of an Agency Review Team” should one be deployed. 

The Justice Department has an added role to play in the transition process, as it typically signs its own memorandum of understanding with transition teams so the FBI can conduct background checks on potential nominees. Trump has so far sidestepped that process as well. Wyn Hornbuckle, a DOJ spokesperson, said discussions are ongoing regarding that agreement. 

“The Department of Justice is committed to ensuring an orderly and effective transition to the new administration,” Hornbuckle said. “We are prepared to deliver briefings to the transition team on our operations and responsibilities, and we stand ready to process requests for security clearances for those who will need access to national security information.”

Trump’s transition team has not yet ruled out signing the requisite agreements to participate in transition planning and officials on both sides of the equation have expressed optimism the process could start up in the coming weeks. 

“The Trump-Vance transition lawyers continue to constructively engage with the Biden-Harris administration lawyers regarding all agreements contemplated by the Presidential Transition Act,” a spokesperson for Trump’s transition said, adding he would provide an update once “a decision is made.” 

At the Office of Personnel Management, which will likely take on key responsibilities to institute Trump’s promised reforms to the civil service that will make many federal employees vulnerable to politicized firings, no dialogue has taken place with the incoming administration. 

A spokesperson said the agency is following OMB and GSA guidance and “has not engaged with the incoming administration or its transition team.” Should Trump’s team sign the memoranda of understanding, the spokesperson added, “We are prepared to host an agency review team when such an agreement is reached.”

The Education Department is slated for potential elimination if Trump fulfills his campaign promise to do so. Speaking of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid program, which has undergone a glitch-plagued overhauling under the Biden administration, a senior Education official said last week the agency is optimistic about the future of FAFSA but uncertain if Trump’s team will be interested in learning about it. 

“We're ready to brief the incoming team whenever they're interested in receiving information from us,” the official said. “We think we're handing off a system that is in good shape and should be, should be available to students for 2025.” 

Lawmakers and good government groups like the Center for Presidential Transition are continuing to pressure Trump to engage in official transition activities and warning of the consequences of refusing to do so. Without meeting with agencies, developing relationships with senior career staff and exchanging information about existing projects and future priorities, they said, the Trump administration will not be ready to govern on day one upon taking office.

By avoiding the MOUs, Trump and his staff are also avoiding signing ethics agreements typically required during the transition. That has caused panic that individuals with conflicts of interest are preparing for government work while shielding those ethical concerns from public scrutiny. 

In a letter sent on Friday to GSA Administrator Robin Carnahan, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., who wrote a bill enhancing ethics oversight during presidential transitions that Trump signed into law in 2020, said the president-elect’s approach “threatens the American public by hamstringing incoming officials’ ability to govern responsibly.” She asked GSA for more information on its contacts with the Trump transition team and what the impacts could be from Trump's refusal to participate in the process. 

“President-elect Trump is undermining his administration’s ability to manage urgent national security threats, health and safety threats, and serious conflicts of interest starting on day one of his presidency,” Warren said, adding this is “unchartered territory.”

The Defense Department is also warning of the potential consequences of Trump’s approach. Sue Gough, a Defense spokesperson, said the department is “committed to carrying out a calm, orderly, and professional transition, and is prepared to begin transition activities with the incoming administration’s transition team” once GSA gives the green light to do so. 

Sabrina Singh, however, another Pentagon spokesperson, said the department “cannot legally have any interaction” with Trump’s team until the agreements are in place. 

“You're talking about a transfer of power between administrations,” Singh said. “The department will continue to function, but it still has impacts in terms of people coming in—new people coming into the building, getting to understand roles and responsibilities. We are committed to an orderly and smooth transition, but we need to have those MOU signed to make that happen. And until those are put into place, we just can't start that process.”

Natalie Alms contributed to this report.