Progressives Debate Whether to Oppose Michèle Flournoy for Defense Secretary

Joe Biden named key members of his national security team last week, but the president-elect conspicuously avoided announcing his choice for Defense secretary. The presumptive favorite, Michèle Flournoy, remains a deeply polarizing figure for progressive advocacy groups, who fractured over how to approach her candidacy during a Zoom call on Wednesday.

Organizers from several left-leaning organizations—Win Without War, Common Defense, and the Center for International Policy—convened the afternoon call with dozens of foreign policy activists and leaders. Participants ranged from the nonpartisan Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, to mainstream liberal...