Trump-supporters (myself included) were horrified when they saw that Trump had approved of U.S. General Services administrator Emily Murphy's decision to make resources available to the Biden transition team.  Oh, dear!  Did Trump just surrender?  No.  He didn't.  Instead, in typical Trumpian fashion, he made a decision that was both pragmatic and strategic.

On Monday after, Murphy wrote a long letter to Biden announcing that she was making transition resources available to him.  In it, she explained that "because of recent developments involving legal challenges and certifications of election results," she was informing him that she was making "certain post-election resources and services available to assist in the event of a presidential transition."  (Emphasis mine.)

Murphy went out of her way to say the White House did not put any pressure on her.  However, she had received extreme threats against everyone in her life, as well as her pets, from Biden's supporters:

Please know that I came to my decision independently, based on the law and available facts. I was never directly or indirectly pressured by any Executive Branch official — including those who work at the White House or GSA — with regard to the substance or timing of my decision. To be clear, I did not receive any direction to delay my determination. I did, however, receive threats online, by phone, and by mail directed at my safety, my family, my staff, and even my pets in an effort to coerce me into making this determination prematurely. Even in the face of thousands of threats, I always remained committed to upholding the law.

Think about that: on the one hand, she says explicitly that the White House left her alone to make her decision.  On the other hand, Biden's side of the aisle did what leftists do: they bullied, threatened, coerced, and intimidated her.  I admire Murphy for saying those efforts did not affect her decision-making, but I still find it hard to believe that they had no effect at all.

Murphy also made clear that she is not declaring Biden the winner:

As you know, the GSA administrator does not pick or certify the winner of a presidential election. Instead, the GSA Administrator's role under the Act is extremely narrow; to make resources and services available in connection with a presidential transition. As stated, because of recent developments involving legal challenges and certifications of election results, I have determined that you may access the post-election resources and services described in Section 3 of the Act upon request. The actual winner of the presidential election will be determined by the electoral process, detailed in the Constitution.

(This is a careful and principled woman.)

President Trump responded to the news with grace and wisdom.  The grace is apparent on its face.  I'll explain the wisdom in a moment:

...fight, and I believe we will prevail! Nevertheless, in the best interest of our Country, I am recommending that Emily and her team do what needs to be done with regard to initial protocols, and have told my team to do the same.

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 23, 2020

What does GSA being allowed to preliminarily work with the Dems have to do with continuing to pursue our various cases on what will go down as the most corrupt election in American political history? We are moving full speed ahead. Will never concede to fake ballots & “Dominion”.

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 24, 2020

(As an aside, do remember that Twitter never adds to posts from the Biden team a message to the effect that "this claim about an election victory is disputed" — although Biden's claim is quite obviously disputed.)

Trump's wisdom is twofold.  At the most obvious level, no matter how optimistic Trump is that he will be able to prove overwhelming fraud in the swing states, there is always the possibility that he will not prevail.  In that case, no matter what a buffoon Biden is or a communist Harris is, the fact is that they'd better be up to speed on their new, dishonestly earned job.

The second level of wisdom is inherent in the first: Trump is signaling that he is not some madman determined to stay hunkered down in the White House until the Navy SEALs are sent in to drag him out.  Instead, he will fight his way through the system.  Then if — and only if — the system rejects his efforts, he will yield to his (entirely unworthy) successor.

Trump's just taken the wind out of the sails of every person who asserts that he is acting as a nascent tyrant.  It's the Obamas of this world, not the Trumps, who makes their successor's transition a nightmare.

Image: Trump.  Pixabay public domain.