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President-Elect Biden Introduces First Cabinet Selections. Aired 1:30-2p ET

Aired November 24, 2020 - 13:30   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

[13:30:00]

LINDA THOMAS-GREENFIELD, U.N. AMBASSADOR NOMINEE: He told me constantly, Linda, don't undersell yourself. And he would always do everything possible to lift me up. He passed away last week, but I know he's here with us today.

And on this day, I'm thinking about the American people, my fellow career diplomats, public servants around the world. I want to say to you, America is back. Multilateralism is back. Diplomacy is back.

Mr. President-Elect, I often heard you say how all politics is personal and that's how you build relationships of trust and bridge disagreements and find common ground.

And in my 35 years in foreign service across four continents, I put a Cajun spin on it. I called it gumbo diplomacy.

Wherever I was posted around the world, I would invite people of different backgrounds and beliefs to help me make a rue, chop onions for the Holy Trinity and make homemade gumbo.

It was my way of breaking down barriers, connecting with people, and starting to see each other on a human level.

That's the charge in front of us today. The challenges we face, a global pandemic, global economy, global climate change crisis, mass migration, extreme poverty, social justice, are unrelenting and interconnected, but they're not unresolvable if America is leading the way.

Thank you.

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT-ELECT OF THE UNITED STATES: Thank you.

JAKE SULLIVAN, NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER NOMINEE: Mr. President-Elect, Madam Vice President-Elect, thank you.

Mr. President-Elect, I am honored and humbled by the immense responsibility that you placed in me of being you national security adviser. I pledge to you and to the American people that I will work

relentlessly to keep our country and our people safe, to advance our national interests, and to defend our values.

I pledge to the exception on the team behind me, and to the brilliant, diverse career professionals across the country that I will manage humane and rigorous decision-making process that honors their work.

And I pledge to my parents, who taught my brothers, my sister and me to work hard, tell the truth, and serve others, that I will do my utmost to make you proud.

Sir, we will be vigilant in the face of enduring threats, from nuclear weapons to terrorism.

But you have also tasked us with reimagining our national security for the unprecedented combination of crises we face at home and abroad, the pandemic, the economic crisis, the climate crisis, technological disruption, threats to democracy, racial injustice, and inequality in all forms.

The work of the team behind me today will contribute to progress across all these fronts.

You have also tasked us with putting people at the center of our foreign policy.

You told us that the alliances we rebuild, the institutions we lead, the agreements we sign, all of them should be judged by a basic question: Will this make life better, easier, safer for families across this country?

Our foreign policy has to deliver for these families.

Perhaps most importantly, you have tasked us with helping unite America, as you said in your remarks, through our work to pull people together to tackle big challenges.

My wife, Maggie, the love of my life and my partner in all things, served as senior adviser to Senator John McCain. She and I shared this commitment to common ground deep in our bones.

To the American people, I have the honor of serving as Joe Biden's national security adviser when he was vice president.

I learned a lot about a lot, about diplomacy, about strategy, about policy but, most importantly, about human nature.

I watched him pair strength and resolve with humanity and empathy. That is the person America elected. That's also America at its best.

So Mr. President-Elect, thank you for giving this kid from the heartland an extraordinary opportunity to serve the country I love.

BIDEN: (INAUDIBLE)

(LAUGHTER)

[13:35:13]

JOHN KERRY, CLIMATE ENVOY NOMINEE: Mr. President-Elect, Vice President-Elect Harris.

Thank you, Mr. President-Elect for your generous words. And most of all, thank you for the trust and responsibility of this appointment.

I will do all in my power to live up to your expectations and to this to this moment for the country and the world.

I begin by thanking my family for empowering me and encouraging me to take this task on.

Secretary-Designate Blinken, we worked together many years, on the Foreign Relations Committee and at Foggy Bottom. And it will be a huge pleasure to partner with you again. You will be a terrific secretary.

Mr. President-Elect, you have put forward a bold transformative climate plan. But you've also underscored that no country alone can solve this challenge.

Even the United States, for all of our industrial strength, is responsible for only 13 percent of global emissions. To end this crisis, the whole world must come together.

You're right to rejoin Paris on day one. And you're right to recognize that will Paris alone is not enough.

At the global meeting in Glasgow one year from now, all nations must raise ambition together or we will all fail together. And failure is not an option.

Succeeding together means tapping into the best of American ingenuity, creativity, and diplomacy, from brain power to alternative energy power, using every tool we have to get where we have to go.

No one should doubt the determination of this president and vice president.

They shouldn't doubt the determination of the country that went to the moon, cured supposedly incurable diseases, and beat back global tyranny to win World War II.

This kind of crisis demands that kind of leadership again. And President Biden will provide it.

The road ahead is exciting, actually. It means creating millions of middle-class jobs. It means less pollution in our air and ocean.

It means making life healthier for citizens across the world. And it means we will strengthen the security of every nation in the world.

In addressing the climate crisis, President-Elect Joe Biden is determined to seize the future now and leave a healing planet to future generations.

And 57 years ago this week, Joe Biden and I were college kids when we lost the president who inspired both of us to try to make a difference. A president who reminded us that here on earth God's work must truly be our own.

President Joe Biden will trust in God. And he will also trust in science to guide our work on earth to protect God's creation.

Mr. President-Elect, Vice President-Elect Harris, I look forward to getting to work.

Thank you.

KAMALA HARRIS, VICE PRESIDENT-ELECT OF THE UNITED STATES: Thank you, Secretary Kerry.

And congratulations, Mr. President-Elect, on bringing together this extraordinary team.

I have always believed in the nobility of public service. And these Americans embody it.

Their lives and careers are a testament to the dedication, sacrifice, and commitment to civic responsibility that have strengthened our democracy and kept America's promise alive for more than 200 years.

President-Elect Biden and I have long known that when we were elected we would inherit a series of unprecedented challenges upon walking into the White House.

[13:40:03]

Addressing these challenges starts with getting this pandemic under control, opening our economy responsibly, and making sure it works for working people.

And we also know that our challenges will require us here at home to overcome those issues that block our ability to proceed.

Our challenge here is a necessary foundation for restoring and advancing our leadership around the world. And we are ready for that work.

We will need to re-assemble and renew America's alliances, rebuild and strengthen the national security and foreign policy institutions that keep us safe and advance our nation's interests, and confront and combat the existential threat of climate change that endangers us all.

I take these issues very seriously. My whole career has been about keeping people safe, from serving as district attorney to California's attorney general to the United States Senate, where I have served on the Intelligence and Homeland Security Committees.

I have come to know firsthand the gravity of the challenges and threats facing the United States. And over the past few months, I have also come to know the sound

judgment, expertise, and character of the people on this stage.

I can say with confidence that they are, to a person, the right women and men for these critical positions. And I look forward to working alongside them on behalf of the American people.

And on behalf of a president who will ask tough questions, demand that we be guided by facts, and expect our team to speak the truth. No matter what.

A president who will be focused on one thing and one thing only, doing what is best for the people of the United States of America.

When Joe asked me to be his running mate, he told me about his commitment to making sure we selected a cabinet that looks like America, that reflects the best of our nation. And that's what we have done.

Today's nominees and appointees come from different places. They bring a range of different life and professional experiences and perspectives.

And they also share something else in common, an unwavering belief in America's ideals and unshakeable commitment to democracy, human rights, and the rule of law.

And they understand the indispensable role of America's leadership in the world.

These women and men are patriots and public servants to their core. And they are leaders, the leaders we need to meet the challenges of this moment and those that lie ahead.

Thank you.

BIDEN: Thanks to all of you for accepting.

(APPLAUSE)

(CROSSTALK)

BIDEN: All right. Thank you, folks.

(CROSSTALK)

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN HOST: All right. You have President-Elect Joe Biden announcing his first cabinet selections, focusing very much on foreign policy and national security, obviously. And talking about the importance of America working with its allies.

It is very clear he's going in a different direction than President Trump. His selections here, things he said, even in a veiled way, a repudiation of President Trump's foreign policy.

I want to bring in our experts to talk about this. We have national political reporter for "Politico," Laura Barron-Lopez. We have our political director, David Chalian, as well as our global affairs analyst, Susan Glasser.

A couple of things on housekeeping to get out of the way. He did mention he was pleased to receive that ascertainment from the GSA, which will allow Biden transition to proceed as it should have been able to weeks ago.

And he also noted that, as more states certify the vote in their states, that's progress to his wrapping up of his victory.

David, to you first.

When we are looking here -- and there was a lot of emphasis on personal stories of these picks from Joe Biden.

But these are also serious qualified individuals that even a Republican-controlled Senate should have some difficulty dismissing or blocking.

[13:45:05]

DAVID CHALIAN, CNN POLITICAL DIRECTOR: Yes. I'm sure we'll have the political skirmishes around some appointments. That's par for the course in Washington, Brianna.

But you're right to note both on style and substance, Joe Biden was drawing a real distinction with his predecessor, Donald Trump, in his approach.

Your ears picked up on what my ears picked up on, on the substance piece, which is the idea of America First is gone.

Everything Joe Biden led this unveiling of the national security and foreign policy team with was all about America at its strongest, working with its allies around the world, that that is what makes America stronger.

It's, fundamentally, a different approach substantively from what the Trump administration put forth in its foreign policy.

Then on style, you know, the words that were used. Vice President- Elect Harris, at the end, used a lot of these words. So did Joe Biden. So did a lot of the nominees when they spoke. Truth, facts, science.

The president-elect talked about, I am going to demand these folks tell me what I need to hear, not what I want to hear.

Vice President-Elect Harris saying Joe Biden will ask very tough questions of these people.

Those are all stylistic queues. Especially John Kerry's words when he said, about Joe Biden's belief in God, but also a belief in science to protect God's work here on earth.

All of that was designed stylistically also to contrast with what you're seeing day-in and day-out in the Trump administration.

KEILAR: Yes, Susan, there was an emphasis on truth, an emphasis on science as well.

But this was, time and again -- look, Joe Biden just tweeted, "America is back." Or his campaign transition tweeted that.

They're signaling, in a way, the Trump years were a departure for America. And that now they're course-correcting to kind of get back on track.

What do you think?

SUSAN GLASSER, CNN GLOBAL AFFAIRS ANALYST: Brianna, that is exactly the reason I think that Joe Biden ran for president. And now that he is president-elect, he is signaling he is going to fulfill that.

I heard him before he announced campaign for president standing alongside future secretary of state nominee, Tony Blinken, at the Munich Security Conference.

Joe Biden said there, hold on, world, we'll be back. And it is striking that's the same language that we're using today.

I do agree. Donald Trump's name was never used by a single person today. Yet, of course, it is him and his legacy and his appointees that hung over this event.

The implicit rebukes for what would have once been a cliche to say the head of intelligence will give the president of the United States open and candid advice.

In the past, that was never controversial. Today, it sounds like a rebuke of the president, who has so politicized intelligence.

I've heard several nominees talk about the fact that this was not about politics, that they would offer a kind of expertise, a return to working together.

And just as David said, on a stylistic note, I haven't heard the word "service" used as in "public service" so much in the last four years as I did in a few minutes on the stage today.

It really was a remarkable change in tone and a message to the world I think that we're not going to be treating allies as adversaries any more certainly.

KEILAR: And, Laura, certainly, Joe Biden brings his perspective and his experience and ideology to this.

But one of the things I notice that seemed to be different from what we would see with President Trump, which was emphasis on President Trump's centric policies, that those around him, in a lot of cases, more often than we're certainly seeing in the Joe Biden administration being generals. Here, you had emphasis on the personal stories of a lot of these

folks. And they all have very different experiences that they're bringing.

The secretary of state nominee bringing experience as the stepson of a Holocaust survivor.

You have someone touting midwestern roots, someone touting Louisiana roots. You have the first female ODNI. There are folks coming -- and you also have an establishment pick, John Kerry, with so much experience.

But then he is being put in this role as the climate envoy, trying to elevate that issue, which is so key to people, especially in the left side of the Democratic Party.

They're sort of telling a story about the people that Joe Biden is picking.

LAURA BARRON-LOPEZ, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: That's right, Brianna. With these picks, Biden isn't just, as David and Susan were saying, trying to show a contrast with the Trump administration.

[13:50:01]

But Biden is trying to show that these are people that he thinks will change the way the country does business, will bring fresh, new perspectives to the different positions.

And as you said, Avril Haines, who was selected as the first woman to head, be director of National Intelligence.

One thing she really focused in on in her comments was she knows that Biden selected her and the others because they aren't just going to serve the president alone, Biden alone, but they're going to serve Americans and the public.

That's a contrast with what we've heard so much from the Trump administration and Trump himself, who very much has tried to seek blind loyalty in his appointments.

And when cabinet members have decided to provide a check against him, then he's ultimately pushed them out. That's another big contrast.

But focusing in on their personal stories, it's definitely something that we didn't see as much under the Trump administration that Biden is trying to highlight in terms of the experience, lived, as well as the work experience that they bring to the position.

KEILAR: I do want to bring in Jeff Zeleny into this conversation. He was actually in that event.

Jeff, what did you think watching that event? What stood out to you?

JEFF ZELENY, CNN SENIOR WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: Brianna, the striking thing about this was how Joe Biden, the president-elect, has a personal connection with every single nominee and appointee onstage.

That is different certainly from four years ago when President-Elect Trump was building his administration, even when Senator Obama, President-Elect Obama was building his administration.

These are people who worked alongside Joe Biden really for so long. They are his proteges. He is their mentor.

I was struck, as I was sitting just about 20 feet or so away on the stage, that he was crossing his arms, the president-elect, and watching as Tony Blinken spoke.

He was watching as Jake Sullivan was speaking. He was watching as his old friend, John Kerry, was speaking. Has this camaraderie.

For better or worse, this is what this government now is going to be. There's certainly an array of new faces, given the Trump administration.

But really a refreshment of old faces, who have been around a very long time.

So that, of course that will be the challenge, having new ideas.

But this certainly is a break from what we've seen in the Trump administration. And that was clear through every single speech and remarks given.

I was also struck, as Laura was just saying, just in biography and tone, people pledging loyalty to the country.

So despite their connection to Mr. Biden, despite their love and loyalty to him, that's not what we heard necessarily.

They were thanking himself, of course, but talking so much bigger for the country.

So, Brianna, I was just struck, sitting back, watching this -- and we've seen a few transitions to power here -- was so struck by the symbolism in every single position in the biography and the choices made to head these agencies.

Certainly, this is something -- this rollout has been planned a long time.

You're wondering why they're happening so quickly. Certainly, faster than the Trump administration or transition and certainly faster than the Obama transition. Because all of these positions have been ready.

The transition team worked throughout the summer to create this government in waiting, which is how this is supposed to go. That's the point of the transition project.

Even with the GSA ascertainment out of the way now, this going to full bore. Now, this doesn't guarantee the success of any of this. But it certainly gives them a head start running here, because they know the offices in which they're walking -- Brianna?

KEILAR: And back to you, David.

Tell us what this all means for the first 100 days. What's going to happen? How much is this going to be pivoting and even undoing some of the things the Trump administration has done? And how much of this is going to be pushing forward with a Biden agenda?

CHALIAN: I think this is the team that the president-elect, in January, will be president, who is going to say, go forth, go do that project of restoring America's reputation in the world.

We have COVID and an economy to deal with in the immediate term, which is going to consume most of President Biden's instant attention.

Although, notice how that was woven into the foreign policy and national security team being unveiled as well.

He talked about economic security being national security.

He talked about how Jake Sullivan, his national security adviser designee, is somebody that was working on both foreign and domestic policy during the campaign for him and advising him on COVID.

So he was taking what are going to be the immediate challenges, as soon as he takes his hand off the Bible January 20th, that he'll have to get to work on, and bringing that into this team.

But he also put together this team of experts that he knows has these relationships, has the ability and experience to get started right away in that mission of working with our allies.

[13:55:02]

Because Joe Biden is likely going to be looking a little more inward initially, with the vaccine distribution, getting his arms around the COVID management, and dealing with the economic recovery out of the gate.

KEILAR: I want to thank all of you so much for the conversation. Really appreciate it.

Moments from now, President Trump is scheduled to appear live for the annual Thanksgiving tradition of pardoning a Turkey. So what, though, what about the president's own pardon power? What will he do with it during his final days besides pardoning a Turkey?

Plus, the Dow crossing 30,000 for the first time ever as the transition officially begins. Which led to a bizarre moment in the briefing room, a very brief moment with President Trump.

And just in, the White House Coronavirus Task Force sounding the alarm on the pandemic, calling for Americans to change their behavior quickly.

This is CNN special live coverage.

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