Joe Biden (D), the Democrat Party’s presumptive nominee, said on Thursday that he is undergoing the process of choosing a presidential transition team, over six months prior to the general election.
Biden made the admission during a virtual fundraiser on Thursday, revealing that the process has been underway for “several weeks,” according to the Washington Post:
Discussions are underway about the prospect of elevating some White House offices to Cabinet-level positions, Biden said. Among those that will be under consideration for the Cabinet: The Office of Science and Technology Policy; the global health security pandemic office; and a separate climate change operation that “goes beyond the EPA,” he said.
The former vice president also told viewers that he would, indeed, consider announcing cabinet members before November’s election, although he emphasized that he was not making a commitment. However, he signaled that he already has several choices in mind.
“If the Lord Almighty said ‘Joe, I tell you what. You have to decide in three hours what your cabinet is or you’re going to be bounced out of the race,’ I could write down who could be in the cabinet,” Biden stated, adding that there are “at least two or three people qualified for every one of those positions.”
“I have had literally several hundred serious, serious players who have held positions in every department in the federal government who have said, including some Republicans, who have said if you win, I want to come back. I’m ready to serve,” Biden claimed.
Axios reported last month that Biden was already discussing potential Cabinet picks, many of whom served during the Obama administration, including former Secretary of State John Kerry.
As Breitbart News detailed:
Former National Security Advisor Susan Rice — who was never nominated for Secretary of State because of fears she would not survive confirmation after misleading the nation about the Benghazi attacks — could find her way to that position in a potential Biden administration, Axios claims.
There would also be room in the Biden Cabinet for some of his former 2020 rivals, including former South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg, who could be UN ambassador, or U.S. trade representative.
Several are also currently under consideration, Axios reports, to be Biden’s running mate, including Sens. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Kamala Harris (D-CA). The final choice may be up to Rep. James Clyburn (D-SC), who delivered the key endorsement that helped Biden win South Carolina and change the direction of the entire Democratic primary.
Meanwhile, Biden has committed to choosing a woman as a running mate and also touted his plan to choose a diverse Cabinet that looks “like the country.”
“Men, women, gay, straight, center, across the board. Black, white, Asian,” he said during a virtual fundraiser this month. “It really matters that you look like the country, because everyone brings a slightly different perspective.”