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Writer's pictureTitus Stevens

If Biden Wins the White House, Who Should Be His Secretary of State?

Updated: Nov 13, 2020

Titus Stevens

published 9 November 2020


If poll numbers stay steady as they have been for this particular U.S. Presidential Election, Joe Biden will become President of the United States. So what happens, in regards to U.S. foreign policy, if Joe Biden is elected? No one can say for sure, but Biden's pick for Secretary of State will be one of most important decisions that Biden will have to make during the first 100 days of his presidency, due to the strained relationships with many allies and countries, but also because the position of Secretary of State is one of the most important positions inside the cabinet. Biden should look for someone who has some, if not a great deal of experience in either diplomacy or making/implementing foreign policy, but also someone who has tried to be apolitical or bipartisan.


Many people believe that since Susan Rice (right) was the former U.S. Security Advisor during President Obama’s second term and that she has previously served as an ambassador to the United Nations and was one of the final “vettees” for Vice President that she will ultimately become Secretary of State. This would be a critical mistake for Biden. First of all, she does not have the best foreign policy and politics record. As pointed out by Bret Stephens, who wrote an opinion column in The New York Times about Susan Rice, Rice spoke fairly highly of a head of state, Meles Zenawi, a former Prime Minister of Ethiopia, who made human rights activists and journalists leave the country (although she did discuss some criticism against him in regards to "democracy and human rights"). Stephens mentions that there were many political prisoners that were being held in detention and were at risk of '"torture and ill-treatment'". He also criticizes how "Rice became notorious for offering some factually challenged talking points regarding the cause of the [Benghazi] attack." Being untruthful to the public, unless it involves national security risks for the future, is something that any politician should not get away with. Secondly, she has been viewed as a partisan throughout her career. This is evidenced by the fact that she has only worked in Democratic administrations but also her willingness to possibly run for the U.S. Senate seat in Maine during 2020. (She decided not to run for the U.S. Senate seat against incumbent Senator Susan Collins (R), and Sara Gideon, current Speaker of the Maine House of Representatives, is representing the Democratic party for the U.S. Senate seat.) Cabinet members should be apolitical like civil servants, because essentially cabinet members are civil servants to the American people that help execute policy.





These same people who speculate that Ambassador Rice will be Secretary of State also state that former U.S. presidential candidate and current Senator for the state of Utah Mitt Romney would be someone that should be considered for Secretary of State; however, Romney should also not be selected for this position. Romney will be an important person in the Senate if Biden wins the White House. Romney has signaled in the past that he is willing to work with others in the Senate, but also with both parties. This is a very rare attribute that is found in the U.S. Senate because of the hyper-politicization that impedes finding common ground and making compromises that has been growing during both the Obama and Trump administrations. Another reason why Sen. Romney should not be selected is that Romney does not have a whole lot of experience in foreign policy. Romney certainly does have a lot to say in regards to foreign policy, but he does not have the experience that Ambassador Rice does.



There is one person that fulfills all of this, and that is Jon Huntsman. Former Ambassador

Huntsman has served in many roles in his life such as U.S. Ambassador to Singapore, China, and Russia, Deputy United States Trade Representative, and Governor of Utah. He has served in Republican, but also Democratic presidential administrations; this would highlight his ability to be non-partisan unlike many cabinet members in recent history including former Ambassador Rice. Huntsman would be apolitical in his role, unlike Ambassador Rice. If nominated, this would be a sign of good faith towards Republicans and Independents who lean towards the Republicans in regards to policy and voting. The relationships that have been most strained and those with which the U.S. has taken the wrong approach during Trump's presidency, are with China and Russia. Ambassador Huntsman has served in these countries as one of the United States' ambassadors and will have some kind of relationship with these leaders. Many people cannot state that they have the relationships that Ambassador Huntsman has. Jon Huntsman can repair many relationships with other countries, but also has the experience of serving as one of the top diplomats in the country, and that is why, if Biden wins the White House, Huntsman should be nominated to the office of Secretary of State of the United States.


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