Blinken has long been mentioned as a candidate for Biden’s secretary of State, along with other veterans of the Clinton and Obama administrations, including former United Nations Ambassador Susan Rice. Blinken was a deputy national security advisor and deputy secretary of State in the Obama administration as well as national security advisor to Vice President Biden from 2009 to 2013. Blinken has also advised Biden during his presidential campaigns, serving during the just-concluded campaign as Biden’s principal foreign policy advisor and spokesman. After serving in the Obama administration, Blinken co-founded WestExec Advisors, a political strategy firm, with a top Obama-era Pentagon official, Michele Flournoy. She is a top candidate to be Biden’s Defense secretary; if named and confirmed, she would be the first woman to hold the job.

Source: Los Angeles Times November 23, 2020 02:53 UTC