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A28 u.s. news
Diamars 24 November 2020

Biden signals shift from Trump with national security picks

major reinvestment in Amer-
ican diplomacy and renewed
emphasis on global engage-
ment.

“Democracy is in retreat
around the world, and unfor-
tunately it’s also in retreat at
home because of the presi-
dent taking a two-by-four to
its institutions, its values and
its people every day," Blinken
told The Associated Press
in September. "Our friends
know that Joe Biden knows
who they are. So do our ad-
versaries. That difference
would be felt on day one.”
Blinken served on the Na-
tional Security Council dur-
ing the Clinton administra-
tion before becoming staff
director for the Senate For-
eign Relations Committee
when Biden was chair of the
panel. In the early years of
the Obama administration,
Blinken returned to the NSC
and was then-Vice President
(AP) — President-elect have his Cabinet reflect the made climate change one of U.S. relationship with the Biden’s national security ad-
Joe Biden is moving to diversity of the American his top priorities while serv- rest of the world after four viser before he moved to the
fill out his national secu- population with Greenfield, ing as Obama's secretary of years in which President State Department to serve as
rity team with a raft of a Black woman, at the helm state. Donald Trump questioned deputy to Secretary of State
appointments to top posi- of the U.S. Mission to the longtime alliances. John Kerry.
tions that signal his intent United Nations and Mayork- “America will soon have a Blinken recently participated
to repudiate the Trump as, a Cuban-American lawyer government that treats the in a national security briefing
administration’s “America who will be the first Latino to climate crisis as the urgent with Biden and Vice Presi- Biden has pledged to build
First” doctrine. lead Homeland Security. national security threat it dent-elect Kamala Harris and the most diverse govern-
is,” Kerry said. “I’m proud has weighed in publicly on ment in modern history, and
The six picks announced on They “are experienced, crisis- to partner with the presi- notable foreign policy issues he and his team often speak
Monday, almost all of them tested leaders who are ready dent-elect, our allies, and the in Egypt and Ethiopia. about their desire for his ad-
alumni of the Obama admin- to hit the ground running on young leaders of the climate ministration to reflect Amer-
istration, represent a funda- day one,” the transition said movement to take on this cri- Blinken would inherit a ica. He is being watched to
mental shift away from Presi- in a statement. “These of- sis as the president’s climate deeply demoralized and de- see whether he will make
dent Donald Trump’s poli- ficials will start working im- envoy.” pleted career workforce at the history by nominating the
cies and personnel selections. mediately to rebuild our in- Sullivan, who at 43 will be State Department. Trump’s first woman to lead the Pen-
They also mark a return to a stitutions, renew and reimag- one of the youngest national two secretaries of state, Rex tagon, the Treasury Depart-
more traditional approach to ine American leadership to security advisers in history, Tillerson and Mike Pompeo, ment or the Department of
America’s relations with the keep Americans safe at home was a top aide to former offered weak resistance to the Veterans Affairs or the first
rest of the world and reflect and abroad, and address the Secretary of State Hillary administration’s attempts to African American at the top
Biden’s campaign promises defining challenges of our Clinton before becoming gut the agency, which were of the Defense Department,
to have his Cabinet reflect time — from infectious dis- then-Vice President Biden's thwarted only by congressio- the Interior Department or
the diversity of the American ease, to terrorism, nuclear national security adviser. He nal intervention. the Treasury Department.
population. proliferation, cyber threats, said the president-elect had
and climate change.” “taught me what it takes to Although the department Ron Klain, Biden’s incom-
In choosing foreign policy safeguard our national secu- escaped massive proposed ing chief of staff, said Sunday
veterans, Biden is seeking to In making the announce- rity at the highest levels of cuts of more than 30% in its the Trump administration’s
upend Trump’s war on the ments, Biden moved for- our government.” budget for three consecutive refusal to clear the way for
so-called “deep state” that ward with plans to fill out his years, it has seen a significant Biden’s team to have access
saw an exodus of career of- government even as Trump “Now, he has asked me to number of departures from to key information about
ficials from government. He refuses to concede defeat in serve as his national security its senior and rising mid-lev- agencies and federal dollars
will nominate his longtime the Nov. 3 election, has pur- adviser,” Sullivan said. “In el ranks, from which many for the transition is taking its
adviser Antony Blinken to sued baseless legal challenges service, I will do everything diplomats have opted to re- toll on planning, including
be secretary of state, lawyer in several key states and has in my power to keep our tire or leave the foreign ser- the Cabinet selection pro-
Alejandro Mayorkas to be worked to stymie the transi- country safe.” vice given limited prospects cess. Trump’s General Ser-
homeland security secretary, tion process. for advancements under an vices Administration has yet
Linda Thomas-Greenfield to The posts to be held by Kerry, administration that they be- to acknowledge that Biden
be ambassador to the United The stakes of a smooth tran- Sullivan and Haines do not lieve does not value their ex- won the election — a deter-
Nations, Jake Sullivan to be sition are especially high this require Senate confirmation. pertise. mination that would remove
his national security adviser, year because Biden will take Blinken, 58, served as deputy those roadblocks.
Avril Haines to be Sullivan's office amid the worst pan- secretary of state and deputy A graduate of Harvard Uni-
deputy, and former Secretary demic in more than a centu- national security adviser dur- versity and Columbia Law “We’re not in a position to
of State John Kerry to be his ry, which will likely require a ing the Obama administra- School and a longtime Dem- get background checks on
climate change envoy. full government response to tion and has close ties with ocratic foreign policy pres- Cabinet nominees. And so
contain. Biden. If nominated and con- ence, Blinken has aligned there are definite impacts.
The choices also suggest firmed, he would be a leading himself with numerous for- Those impacts escalate every
Biden intends to make good Perhaps the best known of force in the incoming admin- mer senior national security day,” Klain told ABC’s “This
on campaign promises to the bunch is Kerry, who istration’s bid to reframe the officials who have called for a Week.”