WASHINGTON (AP) — According to the Associated Press, the federal government has recognized President-elect Joe Biden as the “apparent winner” of the Nov. 3 election.

That formally starts the transition of power.  The move came after Trump suffered legal and procedural defeats in his effort to overturn the election with fraud claims.

In recent days, senior Trump aides including chief of staff Mark Meadows and White House counsel Pat Cipollone had encouraged him to allow the transition to begin, telling the President he didn’t need to concede but could no longer justify withholding support to the Biden transition.