NewsPolitics

US President-Elect appoints Chief of Staff

The President-elect of the United States (US)Joe Biden had named a seasoned Democratic operative as chief of staff in his first public White House personnel choice despite Donald Trump’s refusal to acknowledge defeat.

He made the announcement after visiting the Korean War Memorial in Philadelphia earlier in the day for a solemn wreath-laying ceremony to mark Veterans Day in the US.
Biden tapped longtime aide Ron Klain, who previously served as his first chief of staff while vice president, acknowledging the two had a long road ahead in fighting the coronavirus pandemic as well as healing a deeply divided nation.

Biden said, “His deep, varied experience and capacity to work with people all across the political spectrum is precisely what I need in a White House chief of staff as we confront this moment of crisis and bring our country together again,”.

President Donald Trump attended a separate, simultaneous ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery outside Washington, in what should have been a moment of national unity but instead highlighted the Republican’s refusal to acknowledge election defeat.

The president made no public remarks during the somber wreath-laying ceremony, his first official appearance since the November 3 vote.
Since media called the race four days ago Trump has not addressed the nation other than via Twitter and a written statement released to mark Veterans Day and has not conceded to Biden, as is traditional once a winner is projected in a US vote.

With Covid-19 cases shattering records across the country and states imposing new restrictions in a push to contain the virus before winter arrives, Trump seems to have all but shelved normal presidential duties.
Some Republicans were adding their voices to growing calls for the president to concede, with experts warning his refusal to do so was undermining the democratic process and holding up the transition to Biden, who takes office on January 20.

Among them was the Republican secretary of state for Montana, Corey Stapleton, who heralded the “incredible things” Trump accomplished in office.

Former WH Press Secretary Joe Lockhart says the reason why many Republicans won’t acknowledge Joe Biden’s victory is because “they live in mortal fear of the Trump voters.”

“They now have 72 million Trump voters out there that they need the next time they face the voters.”

Since his projected win was announced on Saturday, Biden has addressed the nation, set up a coronavirus task force, spoken with world leaders including Trump allies, begun vetting potential cabinet members, and delivered policy speeches.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *