Afterward, Trump administration officials insisted Biden was stretching the truth when he said during remarks Monday that members of his team “just aren’t getting all the information that we need.” Those officials cited dozens of transition meetings that have occurred since the process officially began last month after a lengthy delay.

At the same time, people close to the transition efforts said critical information about budgets, US force posture, recently announced troop withdrawal plans and the recent cyber attack attributed to Russia are being withheld. And Trump administration officials acknowledged they are wary of any transition activity that could provide the Biden team a head start in dismantling President Donald Trump’s priorities, such as his border wall construction.

The resulting situation is one national security experts say could be dangerous at a vulnerable juncture for American interests. It has amounted to the most contentious presidential transition in decades, even as Biden acknowledged, in certain areas, things are running smoothly.