Trump administration gives nod to commence transition to Joe Biden

Key official designates President-elect Joe Biden as the apparent winner

President Trump’s government on Monday authorised President-elect Joseph R Biden Jr. to begin a formal transition process after Michigan certified Mr. Biden as its winner, a strong sign that the president’s last-ditch bid to overturn the results of the election was coming to an end.

Mr. Trump did not concede, and vowed to persist with efforts to change the vote, which have so far proved fruitless. But the president said on Twitter on Monday night that he accepted the decision by Emily W Murphy, the administrator of the General Services Administration, to allow a transition to proceed.

In his tweet,