Joe Biden likely to name Antony Blinken as secretary of state, Jake Sullivan as national security advisor

US President-elect Joe Biden is likely to appoint his long-time advisor Antony Blinken as secretary of state, Bloomberg reported quoting three people familiar with the matter. Other than Blinken, the former vice president is likely to name Jake Sullivan as the national security advisor in his administration. Sullivan was one of the closest aides of the 2016 Democratic presidential challenger Hillary Clinton.

Thus Biden has started to give shape to his cabinet even before President Donald Trump has conceded defeat.

Also read: Donald Trump tarring US’ reputation: Biden’s Chief of Staff

A formal announcement on the new cabinet will be made on Tuesday, Biden’s chief of staff Ron Klain said on Sunday.

Both Blinken and Sullivan have served as USA’s NSAs during former president Barack Obama’s administration in which Biden was the vice president. 

The secretary of state is USA’s top diplomat, responsible for the foreign policy of the country. National security advisor is one of the most powerful jobs at the White House. The NSA leads a staff of dozens of experts drawn from the government’s military, diplomatic and intelligence agencies, who develop the country’s foreign and military policies.