Biden To Choose Antony Blinken For Secretary Of State

President-elect Joe Biden will nominate Antony Blinken for the coveted secretary of state post, a source familiar with the transition discussions told NPR.

Blinken, 58, has extensive foreign policy experience, serving as deputy secretary of state and deputy national security adviser under President Obama.

A graduate of Harvard University and Columbia Law School, Blinken began his foreign policy career during the Clinton administration. He worked as Democratic staff director for the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee from 2002-2008, where he worked closely with Biden. He went on to serve as then-Vice President Biden's national security adviser.

Blinken is currently managing partner at WestExec Advisors, an advisory firm he co-founded.

For Biden, choosing Blinken signals a return to a more traditional foreign policy that favors strong international relationships, NPR's Michele Kelemen says.

The source close to the transition added that Jake Sullivan, another close Biden aide, is a strong lead for the position of national security adviser in the new administration. Sullivan served as Blinken's successor as the former vice president's national security adviser and had previously worked at the State Department under Hillary Clinton.

Biden is also expected to name Linda Thomas-Greenfield, an experienced diplomat with more than three decades at the Foreign Service under her belt, as the ambassador to the U.N., Kelemen says.

Biden's pick as secretary of state was first reported by Bloomberg News. A formal announcement of his nomination and other initial Biden administration Cabinet picks is expected Tuesday.