Timeline: Trump insists he won the election as Biden prepares to take the White House

WASHINGTON — A lot has happened since Election Day.

President-elect Joe Biden was declared the winner of the 2020 presidential race. President Donald Trump has refused to acknowledge defeat.

Both of those developments have paved the way for two major paths in American politics.

Trump and his campaign continue to push baseless claims of widespread voter fraud in their effort to challenge the election outcome as Biden continues to build his administration and prepare to step back into the White House.

Here's a timeline of the major events of the transition to the Biden administration that have happened as Trump continues to insist he won:

Nov. 3 - Election Day

Neither candidate was declared the winner of the presidential race on the night of the election, as several key states continued to count the votes. Trump incorrectly claimed in an Election Night speech at the White House that he had won the election, while Biden said he was confident he would reach victory.

Partial reporting showed early leads for Trump in some battleground states that would take more time to count absentee ballots, which largely favored Biden. All eyes were on states like Michigan, Wisconsin, Arizona, Pennsylvania, North Carolina and Georgia.

Nov. 7 - Biden declared winner

Biden was declared the winner of the presidential election after the state of Pennsylvania was called in his favor, giving him enough Electoral College votes to put him over the 270 threshold required to take the White House.

Trump made unsubstantiated claims of widespread voter fraud and refused to concede the election, which he would continue to do for weeks.

The same day, Trump's attorney Rudy Giuliani held a press conference at Four Seasons Total Landscaping in Pennsylvania along with other members of the Trump campaign's legal effort to contest the election, presenting no evidence of contested ballots.

The Trump campaign also filed a lawsuit challenging the Arizona vote count, followed in short order by other lawsuits in Pennsylvania, Nevada, Georgia and Wisconsin hoping to stop them from certifying election results, none of which gained any traction in courts.

Nov. 11 - Georgia launches recount process

Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, a Republican, announced that Georgia had selected the presidential race to audit as part of the process ahead of certifying its state results. Because the margin between Biden and Trump was so slim — less than 14,000 votes — the audit, which would normally include a sampling of ballots, had to be a total hand recount of all presidential votes.

The recount affirmed Biden's win and Georgia certified its results on Nov. 20. After an additional recount, requested by Trump, the state then recertified its results with Biden as the winner on Dec. 7, showing Biden's lead to be nearly 12,000 votes.

Nov. 23 - Trump admin clears way for Biden transition

The General Services Administration, the body that holds the keys to transition funds and tools, cleared the way for Biden's team to get access to briefings, office space, secure computers and other government services needed for the transfer of power. Emily Murphy, who heads the GSA, made a formal recognition that Biden won the election in doing so.

Trump portrayed it as a minor step. "Our case STRONGLY continues, we will keep up the good fight, and I believe we will prevail!" he wrote on Twitter.

Nov. 23 - Biden begins rolling out Cabinet picks

Biden kicked off choosing who would fill out his diverse Cabinet with several historic picks, with the announcement that Janet Yellen would be his choice for Treasury secretary; if confirmed she would be the first woman in the job. He also made selections for the Department of Homeland Security and his point person on intelligence matters that day.

The Biden transition team has continued to announce his choices for top administration positions.

See who else Biden has selected: President-elect Biden seeks a diverse Cabinet. Here's who will join his administration and who might be top contenders

Nov. 25 - Trump legal team holds events with legislators

Trump's legal team, spearheaded by Giuliani, held the first of a series of media events to present what it claims is evidence of voting irregularities that would overturn the election results in battleground states, before an audience of mostly Republican state legislators. Giuliani made stops in Pennsylvania, Arizona, Michigan and Georgia.

Giuliani paraded a slew of GOP poll challengers, volunteers and others who claimed they witnessed irregularities. With legal battles headed toward dead ends, these hourslong events served as a way for the campaign to motivate Trump's base.

After Giuliani was diagnosed with the coronavirus and hospitalized Dec. 6, several state lawmakers who had been present at the events where most in attendance did not wear masks went into quarantine and received COVID-19 tests.

Nov. 25 - Trump grants pardon to Flynn

Trump said he issued a pardon to former national security adviser Michael Flynn, ending a three-year legal odyssey for the retired Army general who pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI about his contacts with a Russian ambassador before Trump's inauguration.

Trump's decision was viewed by many as de facto recognition that his tenure in the White House is coming to a close, despite his ongoing public statements. Presidents have often granted controversial clemency just before leaving office.

Nov. 26 - Trump says for first time he'll leave office if electors vote Biden

In a testy exchange with members of the media on Thanksgiving Day, Trump acknowledged for the first time that he would leave the White House if the Electoral College votes for Biden, but also said it would be difficult for him to concede, continuing to make claims of fraud in the election without presenting evidence.

"Certainly I will, and you know that," Trump said.

Dec. 1 - AG Barr says DOJ has seen no evidence of fraud

Attorney General William Barr, in a major split with Trump, told the Associated Press that thus far, the Justice Department had not seen evidence of widespread voter fraud that would change the outcome of the vote.

In November, Barr had authorized U.S. attorneys to pursue any "substantial allegations" of voting irregularities during the 2020 elections, contradicting longstanding Justice Department practice of not taking steps that could impact the results of an election.

Dec. 1 - Trump teases 2024 run

Trump indicated he plans to run for president again in 2024 at a holiday party, telling the audience that he would "see you in four years" if he is not proven the winner in this presidential election. Reports have also suggested Trump may choose not to attend Biden's inauguration.

Trump's remarks, and his post-election fundraising campaigns, have been a signal of his desire to remain in control of the Republican Party's politics even after Biden is sworn in.

Dec. 8 - Election safe harbor deadline

Federal law requires that Congress recognize the slates of electors chosen by states that have resolved election disputes by Dec. 8, a deadline that makes the possibility of Trump succeeding in changing any election outcomes even more of a long shot.

It's unclear how many states will meet the safe harbor deadline, but for those that do, their determination "shall be conclusive, and shall govern in the counting of the electoral votes," according to the law.

Read more on the important Electoral College deadline: Why the safe haven deadline is bad news for Trump

Dec. 14 - Electoral College to meet

Electors will meet in state capitals to officially cast votes for the president and vice president based on the popular vote in their states.

Biden is set to defeat Trump 306-232 in the Electoral College based on the certification of election results by states.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Biden's transition continues as Trump refuses to concede: Timeline