GSA begins formal transition process to Joe Biden; Trump responds immediately

The General Services Administration said they would formally begin the transition of power to former Vice President Joe Biden and President Donald Trump immediately responded from his Twitter account.

GSA administrator Emily Murphy released a letter on Monday evening to Biden announcing the agency's intention to begin the transitioning process.

Trump tweeted about the letter just minutes after the letter was released.

"I want to thank Emily Murphy at GSA for her steadfast dedication and loyalty to our Country. She has been harassed, threatened, and abused – and I do not want to see this happen to her, her family, or employees of GSA," he tweeted.

"Our case STRONGLY continues, we will keep up the good fight, and I believe we will prevail!" he added in a second tweet. "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."

Murphy, a Trump appointee, said in her letter that she had carefully considered her duty in making the decision to begin the transition process, and she denied that any official had tried to influence her decision.

"Please know that I came to my decision independently, based on the law and available facts," Murphy said in the letter. "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."

Murphy went on to claim that she had received threats by many demanding that she make the transition process prematurely.

"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," she added.

Murphy's letter was released just after Michigan certified the results that indicated Biden had won the state and its electoral votes.

Here's more about the letter from the GSA:

Trump authorizes the GSA to start official Biden transitionwww.youtube.com