Biden introduces his foreign policy team
WASHINGTON: President-elect Joe Biden introduced members of his foreign policy and national security team on Tuesday with a clear message for the world: the US is returning to reassert its global leadership to fight terrorism, control the pandemic, and deal with climate crisis, nuclear proliferation and cyber threats.
“America is back. Ready to lead the world, not retreat from it. Ready to confront our adversaries, not reject our allies,” Biden said in Wilmington, Delaware on Tuesday. Biden’s nominee for ambassador to the UN, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, summed up the new team’s ethos with a similar sentiment: “Multilateralism is back. Diplomacy is back.”
It was a clear and direct repudiation of President Donald Trump’s “America First” vision and policies.
Biden moved ahead with finalising his administration as Trump gave him access to daily intelligence briefings.
Biden introduced his “incredible team” of incoming officials in both policy and personal terms, talking about his long years of association with them.
He called secretary of state Antony Blinken one of “my closest and most trusted advisers”.
Avril Haines, his nominee for director of National Intelligence, said she will not hesitate to tell Trump something he did not want to hear. “Mr. Presidentelect, you know that I have never shied away from speaking truth to power.”
Regarding John Kerry, the special presidential envoy on climate, Biden said he was “one of my closest friends”, and his appointment reflected the importance he accords to combating the climate crisis.
Jake Sullivan, who will be the youngest National Security Adviser in US history at 43, “understands my vision that economic security is national security”, Biden said.
Alejandro Mayorkas, the nominee for department of homeland Security, is the first Latino to hold that position. And he drew contrast from the previous administration, whose antiimmigration actions led to international outrage. Mayorkas, who is of Cuban origin, said it was his department’s mission to “advance our proud history as a country of welcome”.
Trump still sore on result
Trump has continued to question the election outcome. He tweeted unspecified opinion poll results that said nearly 99% of Trump voters were not in favour of conceding to Biden.
Trump is expected to join his attorney Rudy Giuliani in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, later on Wednesday, where Republican state lawmakers are holding a “hearing” on allegations of election fraud.
Meanwhile, media reports said that Trump is considering a pardon for his former national security adviser Michael Flynn, who had pleaded guilty of lying to federal investigators.