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President-elect Joe Biden intends to name his longtime adviser Antony Blinken as secretary of State, according to three people familiar with the matter, setting out to assemble his cabinet even before Donald Trump concedes defeat.
In addition, Jake Sullivan, formerly one of Hillary Clintonโs closest aides, is likely to be named Bidenโs national security adviser, according to two people familiar with the matter. An announcement is expected Tuesday, the people said.
Bidenโs incoming White House chief of staff Ron Klain said Sunday the president-elect would be making his initial cabinet announcements on Tuesday, but declined to specify which positions would be filled first. The people familiar with Bidenโs selections asked not to be identified because he hasnโt yet made the announcements.
Both Sullivan, who is 43, and Blinken, 58, served stints as Bidenโs national security adviser when he was vice president.
State is regarded as one of the most prestigious cabinet posts. The secretary of State is the nationโs top diplomat, conducting meetings with foreign leaders across the globe.
The presidentโs national security adviser is one of the most important and powerful jobs in the White House, leading a staff of dozens of experts drawn from the governmentโs military, diplomatic and intelligence agencies who develop U.S. foreign and military policy.
Blinken and Sullivan didnโt immediately respond to requests for comment. A Biden spokesman declined to comment.
Foreign Relations
Blinken has been regarded as one of the leading candidates to run the State Department. After serving as the vice presidentโs national security adviser, he was elevated to deputy secretary of state under President Barack Obama.
When Biden was a senator, Blinken served as his staff director on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee before leaving to work on Bidenโs 2008 presidential campaign. Blinken graduated from Harvard and from Columbia Law School.
Following the Obama administration, Blinken co-founded WestExec Advisors, a political strategy firm, with a top Obama-era Pentagon official, Michele Flournoy.
The selection of Blinken as Americaโs top diplomat signals Bidenโs aim to place experienced people in key cabinet posts.
Biden met Nov. 17 with defense and intelligence experts, including Blinken and others who worked for Obama when Biden was vice president. He gathered them together because the Trump administration has blocked him from getting the intelligence briefings traditionally granted the president-elect.
โWeโve been through a lot of damage done over the last four years, in my view. We need to rebuild our institutions and my workforce to reflect the full strength and diversity of our country,โ Biden said at the briefing. โWe need to focus on readiness for whatever may come.โ
