President-elect Joe Biden expected to announce Tony Blinken, has long been a diplomat and a member of Mr Biden’s inner circle, and was confirmed to CBS News as a foreign minister in the knowledge of the decision. Mr Biden is expected to announce on Tuesday.
In addition, two people familiar with the decision confirmed to CBS News that Linda Thomas-Greenfield was elected as the UN ambassador.
Blinken has served in the last two democratic administrations, including as Deputy Security Adviser from 2013 to 2015 and as Deputy Secretary of State from 2015 to 2017.
Mr. Biden began working with Blinken more than 15 years ago when he chaired the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and Blinken was the director of the Democratic staff. Their relationship was strengthened in the White House when Vice President Biden and Blinken were his national security advisers. By the end of the Obama administration, Blinken had become deputy secretary of state.
CBS News earlier reported that Blinken already already acting as Mr. Biden’s global contact, as the main scheduler in the President-elect’s telephone conversations with world leaders who congratulate him. Blinken’s role is essential as the State Department has been prevented from assisting with calls from the Trump administration.
A temporary Biden official did not respond to CBS News’ comments.
In September, Blinken told Michael Morell, a CBS News intelligence analyst, that he expected Mr. Biden to “reaffirm American leadership, leading through our diplomacy.”
“In fact, we would reappear day by day. But to engage the world, not as we did in 2009 or even 2017 when we left, but as it is and is expected to be: rising powers are new, technology and information-empowered actors we have to take with us if we want to move forward, ”Blinken said in Morrell’s podcast“ Intelligence Matters ”.
Former National Security Adviser Susan Rice was also considered in the post.
Fatih Erel / Anadolu Agency / Getty Images
Ed O’Keefe, Nikole Killion and Caroline Linton contributed to the report.
