Biden fractures foot after fall, will likely be in walking boot 'for several weeks'

A day after the GSA recognized Joe Biden as the apparent president-elect after a weeks-long delay -- putting in motion the official transition to a Biden administration -- President Donald Trump will take part in the traditional presidential turkey pardon on Tuesday.

Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris, meanwhile, are expected to continue with the rollout that began before the GSA made it official by introducing their nominees and appointees to key national security and foreign policy posts in Wilmington, Delaware, at 1 p.m. ET. 

A senior White House official said this year’s turkey pardon event will be smaller than years past due to the pandemic. Social-distancing and mask-wearing will be required, and those in close proximity to the president will be tested beforehand. 

This year, the turkeys will be Corn and Cobb. 

The lighthearted annual event, however, comes amid the sobering reality that the country has lost about 250,000 people since last Thanksgiving due to the pandemic, as watchers of the president wonder which other pardons might be coming as he serves out his last weeks and as the president continues not to concede the election.

Notably, during his pardoning event in 2018, as Trump pardoned the lucky bird Carrots, he quipped that, “the winner of this vote was decided by a fair and open election conducted on the White House website.” 

“This was a fair election,” he said at the time. “Unfortunately, Carrots refused to concede and demanded a recount, and we’re still fighting with Carrots. And I will tell you, we’ve come to a conclusion: Carrots, I’m sorry to tell you, the result did not change.” 

-ABC News’ Jordyn Phelps

Since Election Day, the Trump campaign and its allies have lost least 30 cases brought in an effort to overturn the results of the election, according to an ABC News count. The campaign itself has filed 19 lawsuits across 5 states -- 17 of which have been lost so far, either denied, dismissed or withdrawn.

The campaign has won one of its lawsuits. One lawsuit from Nevada has not yet been decided.

That lawsuit asks a Nevada judge to either invalidate the election results in the state and declare Trump's electors officially elected or to null the election results entirely and prevent either candidate from receiving the state's six electoral votes. Legal experts told ABC News the strategy has virtually no chance of being taken seriously.

-ABC News' Matthew Mosk and Olivia Rubin

Donald Trump responded to Joe Biden's ascertainment on Twitter Monday evening by first thanking his General Services Administration appointee Emily Murphy for her service and, in a direct contraction of her letter, which said there was no political influence behind her decision, took credit for telling Murphy to move forward with the process. 

"I want to thank Emily Murphy at GSA for her steadfast dedication and loyalty to our Country," Trump tweeted, adding that his case "STRONGLY continues." However, Trump hasn't been able to substantiate any claims of voter fraud -- at least 30 lawsuits from Trump and his allies have ended in court losses.

"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," Trump said in a tweet. 

Biden transition official Yohannes Abraham also reacted to the news, calling the decision "a needed step to begin tackling the challenges facing our nation, including getting the pandemic under control and our economy back on track."

-ABC News' Molly Nagle and Jordyn Phelps

ABC News can report that the General Services Administration has informed the Biden camp that he has been determined to be the apparent winner of the election.

The move allows the president-elect's transition team access to government resources and comes after Biden warned that American lives may be at risk without a formal transition.

Emily Murphy, head of the General Services Administration, a 2017 Trump appointee, sent Biden a letter Monday afternoon telling him his transition could begin. She also defended her position as she's come under fire from Democrats in recent weeks for delaying the process.

"I have dedicated much of my adult life to public service, and I have always strived to do what is right. 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," she said in the letter to Biden.

A transition official for Biden confirmed to ABC News he has received the letter.