White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, in an email to staff Monday evening, said the GSA administrator “has made an ascertainment”—a term Ms. Murphy didn’t use in her letter—and reminded aides that under the Presidential Transition Act of 1963, the administration would “comply with all actions needed to ensure the smooth transfer of power.” He said aides weren’t permitted to speak directly with a member of the Biden transition team or a federal transition coordinator unless “specifically authorized,” according to a copy of the email reviewed by the Journal…

Over the past week, according to one of the officials, the president has appeared increasingly resigned to the reality that he will no longer be in the White House past Jan. 20, asking one adviser in a recent conversation: “What do you think I should do next?”

Some advisers have urged him to talk up another presidential run in 2024, even if he doesn’t plan to follow through. The president also has privately indicated he wants to keep up the appearance of a fight until the bitter end, telling one adviser: “Everybody loves a fighter.”