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President-elect Joe Biden gave the first glimpse of his incoming administration, presenting a diverse team that he said would help “heal and unite America” and that he was “ready to lead the world, not withdraw from it.”
Addressing the nation on Nov. 24 alongside Vice President-elect Kamala Harris, Biden revealed elections for key national security and foreign policy positions in keeping with his vision of restoring America’s global leadership role.
“America is back” on the world stage, Biden said in a shift from outgoing President Donald Trump’s “America First” approach. Biden said his administration would be “ready to face adversaries, without alienating allies.”
The president-elect said his secretary of state candidate, his veteran advisor and diplomat Antony Blinken, “will rebuild morale and confidence in the US State Department.”
Later, Blinken promised to seek international cooperation as the top US diplomat, saying “we must proceed with equal measures of humility and trust.”
Biden named Cuban-born attorney Alejandro Mayorkas as his choice to head the Department of Homeland Security, making him the first Latino to head the agency responsible for most of the country’s immigration policies.
Veteran diplomat Linda Thomas-Greenfield, a black woman whom Biden said was known as a “people’s ambassador” while performing foreign service in African affairs and other roles, was appointed the United States’ ambassador to the United Nations.
Avril Haines was chosen to fill the position of director of national intelligence, which would make the former deputy director of the CIA and former deputy national security adviser the first woman to head American intelligence.
For national security adviser, the choice was Jake Sullivan, another alumnus of the Barack Obama administration in which Biden served as vice president.
Climate change
Biden also highlighted his intention to take a leadership role on the environment, saying that for the first time “climate change will be on the agenda in the situation room” with his appointment of former Secretary of State John Kerry as his special presidential envoy for the weather. issues.
In the newly created position, Kerry will be a member of the National Security Council “and will have a seat at each table,” Biden said.
Biden’s revelation of his nominees came a day after Trump signed the start of the White House transition, despite continuing to refuse to award Biden victory in the November 3 presidential election.
The event, which was held at a theater in Biden’s hometown of Wilmington, Delaware, also came minutes after Biden’s victory in Nevada, one of the last battle states to approve the results, was made. official.
All of his nominees must be approved by the Senate, which could still be controlled by Republicans depending on the second round elections in the state of Georgia on January 5, 2021.
Biden, who will take office in Washington on January 20, said he expected his nominees to receive prompt confirmation.
