Biden Expected to Nominate Blinken As Secretary of State
President-elect Joe Biden is anticipated to announce Antony Blinken as Secretary of State in his first Cabinet nominations on Tuesday. Blinken, who has considerable foreign policy experience, will be the first in a series of Cabinet member positions expected to reinforce Biden’s priority of rebuilding alliances with other countries around the world.
Blinken’s background includes serving as deputy secretary of state during the Obama Administration where he also served as the principal national security deputy as well as national security advisor to then-Vice President Joe Biden during that time. Blinken played a vital foreign policy role which included the 2011 raid that killed al Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden, the first effort to eliminate ISIS and intervention for Russia’s 2014 incursion in Crimea.
If Blinken’s anticipated appointment is approved by the Senate, his primary role will include repairing damaged relationships with foreign governments who have winced at President Donald Trump’s abrasive “America First” policy methods to address foreign affairs as part of his 2016 campaign pledge. Blinken will also be responsible for rehiring positions at the state department which were drastically reduced under Trump who, reportedly, implemented a hiring freeze in response to his unfounded view that the agency was part of a covert effort to undermine his leadership.
Ann Sullivan is a contributing staff writer covering national and world news topics. She brings dedicated experience having written international and domestic news, blogs, and web content for over 20 years. She’s also a published poet and graphic designer with degrees in Business and Graphic Communications and has been a music distributor, music industry sponsorship sales director and band manager.