Tom Donohue — CEO of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and longtime confidant of Republican presidents — tells Axios that Joe Biden is president-elect, and President Trump "should not delay the transition a moment longer."
What he's saying: "President-elect Biden and the team around him have a wealth of executive branch experience that should allow them to hit the ground running," Donohue said in a statement.
- "[W]hile the Trump administration can continue litigating to confirm election outcomes, for the sake of Americans' safety and well-being, it should not delay the transition a moment longer."
Why it matters: Even business leaders who held back at first are now saying Trump needs to move on.
- Believe it or not, this is the 16th morning since Election Day — and Biden's victory has looked surer on every one of them.
Business leaders are speaking with one voice:
- National Association of Manufacturers president and CEO Jay Timmons, and other NAM leaders, said the GSA should sign the letter opening transition resources to Biden: "Further, we call on the Trump administration to work cooperatively with President-elect Biden and his team."
- JPMorgan Chase chairman and CEO Jamie Dimon told Andrew Ross Sorkin at the N.Y. Times' Dealbook conference: "We need a peaceful transition. We had an election. We have a new president. You should support that whether you like it or not because it’s based on a system of faith and trust."
- The Business Roundtable, representing top CEOs, on Nov. 7 congratulated "President-elect Biden, Vice President-elect Harris."
The big picture: This is another case of CEOs filling the D.C. leadership vacuum.