Once the candidate has been declared the winner of a presidential election, so begins the transition of power. The Presidential Transition Act of 1963 sets out the “peaceful transition of power” and allows for the cooperation between outgoing and incoming administrations.
Once a candidate’s nomination has been declared by their party, they can then receive national security briefings and have access to office space and the funds to begin building their administration.
For the 2024 election, there is growing concern over whether this transition of power will be peaceful. As early as March this year Trump stated that if he lost the election, it would be a “bloodbath for the country”. President Biden expressed concern about this in August and stated that he did not have confidence in a peaceful transition should Trump lose.
Following the prolonged 2020 presidential election result, there was ongoing unrest culminating in the Capitol Riots on 6 January 2021.
What happened that day continues to divide America.
A crowd numbering between 2,000 and 2,500 people marched to the Capitol. It contained members of far-right groups such as the Proud Boys and the Oath Keepers. Many were armed. Police battled for hours to control the disorder and over 900 were arrested.
Five people died and a number of police officers were also injured.
If Trump loses the 2024 election, many commentators are predicting similar, and worse, responses from his supporters and from the candidate himself.
When pressed on whether he would accept a loss in this election Trump stated “if it’s a fair and legal and good election, absolutely”, however, whether these parameters will be met for the former president remain to be seen.
Trump’s campaign team have failed to sign up for agreements with the Biden campaign to ensure a peaceful transition. House Democrats have accused the Trump campaign of avoiding the requirement to report of fundraising and the rules which are in place to prevent any conflicts of interest in administration formations.
The incendiary nature of this election cycle and the repeated questioning of the legitimacy of election results by the Trump campaign could signal a tumultuous time for the country during the transition months. Whichever way the election goes, there is sure to be discontent on both sides and the polarised nature of the country could signal more troubling times to come.
Words: Dr Amy Tatum
Dr Amy Tatum is a lecturer in Communication and Media at Bournemouth University, her research explores gender and political leadership with a focus on US politics. She has published research on women political leaders, AI bias, and gender and media representation.
Featured image courtesy of Gage Skidmore