Michelle Obama on presidential transition: ‘This isn’t a game’

Former first lady Michelle Obama on Monday criticized “groundless conspiracy theories” about the election and urged a “smooth transition of power” to the next president.

“Our love of country requires us to respect the results of an election even when we don’t like them or wish it had gone differently—the presidency doesn’t belong to any one individual or any one party,” Obama wrote on Instagram.

“To pretend that it does, to play along with these groundless conspiracy theories—whether for personal or political gain—is to put our country’s health and security in danger. This isn’t a game,” she added.

The post follows The Associated Press declaring Joe Biden the winner of the presidential election. President Trump has refused to acknowledge Biden as the next president and is not providing Biden’s team access to government resources. Intelligence briefings and other preparation to take charge of various parts of the federal government are typically provided to the president-elect as part of the transition process.

In the post, Obama reminisced about the transition to the Trump administration at the end of her husband’s term. She wrote that she was “hurt and disappointed” when Trump won the election in 2015 but that she chose to “listen” to the American people’s decision. She pointed to the tradition of helping the incoming administration that was set for the Obamas by former Republican President George W. Bush and former First Lady Laura Bush.

“I have to be honest and say that none of this was easy for me,” Obama wrote. “Donald Trump had spread racist lies about my husband that had put my family in danger. That wasn’t something I was ready to forgive. But I knew that, for the sake of our country, I had to find the strength and maturity to put my anger aside.”

“I knew in my heart it was the right thing to do—because our democracy is so much bigger than anybody’s ego,” she added.

“So I want to urge all Americans, especially our nation’s leaders, regardless of party, to honor the electoral process and do your part to encourage a smooth transition of power, just as sitting presidents have done throughout our history,” Obama wrote.

Former President Obama also urged Trump this week to “think beyond your own ego.”

“My advice to President Trump is, if you want at this late stage in the game to be remembered as somebody who put country first, it’s time for you to do the same thing,” he told CBS’s “60 Minutes.”

Trump, whose campaign has filed lawsuits in multiple states contesting the election, has doubled down on alleging a “rigged election” without evidence.

Over the weekend, he tweeted, “I concede NOTHING!”

He only won in the eyes of the FAKE NEWS MEDIA. I concede NOTHING! We have a long way to go. This was a RIGGED ELECTION!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 15, 2020