Politics

Biden planning several executive orders on first day in office, including rescinding travel ban

President-elect Biden is planning to sign several executive orders on day one of his presidency, his incoming chief of staff announced in a statement.

The president-elect will sign roughly a dozen executive orders that day, including reversing President Trump’s travel ban on 13 majority-Muslim countries, rejoining the Paris Climate Agreement and extending the pause on student loan payments, according to Ron Klain.

Biden also will initiate his “100-Day Masking Challenge” with a mask mandate on federal property and during interstate travel. Klain promised the president-elect would sign additional executive orders on climate change and health care access in the first week of the new administration.

“Much more will need to be done to fight COVID-19, build our economy back better, combat systemic racism and inequality, and address the existential threat of the climate crisis,” Klain said in the statement. “But by February 1st, America will be moving in the right direction on all four of these challenges — and more — thanks to President-elect Joe Biden’s leadership.”

Biden has long promised to rescind Trump’s travel ban and rejoin the Paris Climate Accords on “day one” of his presidency. He’s also promised to send a bill to Congress to create a pathway to citizenship for the nation’s Dreamers, immigrants brought to the U.S. as children, and the 11 million undocumented people currently living in the U.S.

But in November he loosened that timeline, committing to forging a pathway to citizenship within the first 100 days.

“Some of it’s gonna depend on the kinda cooperation I can or cannot get from the United States Congress,” Biden acknowledged.

On the campaign trail, Biden pledged to end the Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP) that keep migrants in Mexico as their hearings play out. Known as the “Remain-in-Mexico” policy, opponents have claimed it puts migrants in danger, but Trump officials said it has been key in ending “catch-and-release” by which migrants were released into the U.S. instead.

Biden will take the oath of office Wednesday after a whirlwind lame-duck period where President Trump repeated regularly that the presidential election was “rigged” and alleged mass voter fraud. The House impeached the president this week for incitement of an insurrection after rioters stormed the Capitol following a rally where he spoke.

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Inauguration Day will, of course, look different than in years past. Congress has been invited, but each member only got one guest ticket.

President Trump has said he will not attend the ceremony, but Vice President Mike Pence is expected.

States deployed their National Guards to Washington in anticipation of more potential unrest. Still, Biden has said he is “not afraid” to take the oath of office outside.

Twitter says ‘bug’ prevented users from searching Lincoln Project Aamid sexual misconduct allegations

Twitter said a “bug” prevented users from searching for the Lincoln Project on the platform, after one of the organization’s founders admitted to sending “inappropriate” messages to multiple men.

A Twitter spokesperson told the Daily Caller that “this was a bug that was fixed yesterday.” Twitter did not address why the bug affected searches while the conservative, anti-Trump organization’s co-founder was facing allegations of misconduct.

The allegations began to surface last Saturday after Ryan James Girdusky, author of “They’re Not Listening,” sent a cryptic tweet claiming that one of the founding members of the Lincoln Project offered “jobs to young men in exchange for sex.”

The alleged missives from John Weaver, a veteran GOP operative and former aide to prominent Republicans like former Ohio Gov. John Kasich and the late Sen. John McCain, were “sometimes coupled with offers of employment or political advancement,” Axios reported Friday.

Weaver issued an apology on Friday. He also said he is gay.

“To the men I made uncomfortable through my messages that I viewed as consensual mutual conversations at the time: I am truly sorry,” Weaver said in a statement obtained by Axios. “They were inappropriate and it was because of my failings that this discomfort was brought on you.”

CENSORED BY TWITTER OR FACEBOOK? THIS STATE’S BILL WOULD LET YOU SUE

“The truth is that I’m gay,” Weaver added. “And that I have a wife and two kids who I love. My inability to reconcile those two truths has led to this agonizing place.”

Weaver took a “medical leave of absence” from the Lincoln Project last summer and “will not be returning to the group,” according to Axios.

Following Weaver’s comments to Axios, Girdusky said the Lincoln Project co-founder gave “the Kevin Spacey defense that he’s gay” and refused to “take ownership of the fact that he reached out to men 40 years younger than him and said he believed it was consensual.”

One man Girdusky knew from Twitter, as he described in a report for The American Conservative, reached out to him after Weaver followed Girdusky on the social platform.

“You know [John] Weaver?” the message to Girdusky reads. When Girdusky replied saying he “didn’t really know much” about Weaver other than the fact that the Lincoln Project co-founder followed him on Twitter, the young man replied, “I won’t say who for privacy reasons…but I’ve had two guys confirm he uses his position of power to try and proposition them sexually.”

VAN DUYNE URGES GOP HOUSE MEMBERS TO ‘REFUSE ANY AND ALL’ BIG TECH MONEY OVER ‘CENSORSHIP’

The young man, who spoke to Girdusky on the condition of anonymity, told him that Weaver allegedly groomed “so many” other young men who are “probably wanna-be politicians that don’t see his predator-like behavior and entertain it.” He then alleged to Girdusky that Weaver used the term “my boy” on multiple occasions.

Screenshots of conversations between Weaver and various young men posted to Twitter appear to show the Lincoln Project founder making unsolicited advances through private messages.

Between the number of men Girdusky spoke to and a number of others in contact with Forensic News reporter Scott Stedman – who shared screenshots of his own messages with Weaver – Girdusky said the number of men who have had these experiences with Weaver may be around 60.

Beyond the seemingly flirtatious messages, Stedman said Weaver contacted men ages 19 to 26 who recently graduated and were looking to start their careers in politics.

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“In most cases, Weaver initiated contact over Twitter Direct Message, though many times later conversations included phone calls,” Stedman reported. “Weaver, according to the people who shared details and screenshots of conversations, attempted multiple times to pay for travel in order to meet in-person. At least two people took him up on his offer, expecting the meetings to be about professional opportunities.”

Vice President-elect Harris will be sworn in by Justice Sonia Sotomayor

The swearing-in of Vice President-elect Kamala Harris Wednesday, will acknowledge historical milestones as the first Latina Supreme Court justice oversees the ceremony.

An aide for Harris confirmed for Fox News Saturday that the vice president-elect appreciated that she and Sonia Sotomayor share similar backgrounds in their work as prosecutors.

Harris also was inspired by Sotomayor’s work in the civil rights sector.

PENCE CALLS VICE PRESIDENT-ELECT HARRIS TO OFFER CONGRATULATIONS AHEAD OF INAUGURATION

The former California attorney general will not only be the first woman to serve as vice president, but she also will be the first Black and South Asian vice president elected to the office.

This will not be Sotomayor’s first inauguration, as she swore in then-Vice President Joe Biden in 2013, launching the Obama-Biden administration’s second term.

Biden’s presidential inauguration will see many differences from the last time he was sworn in at the U.S. Capitol – not least of which will be the absence of President Trump.

Traditionally, the outgoing president and president-elect travel together from the White House to the inauguration at the Capitol. The new president then walks the former commander-in-chief to Air Force One, where he departs.

But Trump is unlikely to host Biden at the traditional pre-inauguration White House visit, as he never conceded to the president-elect, following the certification of the Electoral College votes.

Photos circulated earlier this week showing the White House being cleared out, with aides moving boxes and loans from museums being loaded into trucks – suggesting that Trump may being getting out of dodge before Inauguration Day.

The president used his last tweet – just before the social media platform barred him – to announce that he would not be attending Biden’s inauguration, becoming the first president in more than 150 years not attending his successor’s swearing-in.

Biden was not disappointed by Trump’s decision, telling reporters during a recent press conference it was, “one of the few things he and I have ever agreed on.”

“It’s a good thing, him not showing up,” he added.

But Biden said that Vice President Mike Pence — who was on the recieving end of Trump attacks just last week, for refusing to interfere in the certification of the Electoral College results – would be “welcome” at his inauguration.

“I think it’s important that, as much as we can, stick to what has been the historical precedent…and the circumstances of which an administration changes should be maintained,” Biden said.

“I’d be honored to have him there and to move forward in the transition,” he added.

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The 2021 inauguration already was set to look different from past ceremonies, with limited attendance due to the coronavirus pandemic.

But there is now a new element that will separate Wednesday’s ceremony from previous inaugurations: The presence of 21,000 National Guardsmen and 5,000 active duty troops will protect the nation’s Capitol, following the attack by Trump supporters Jan. 6.

Jennifer Griffin contributed to this report.

Nikki Haley: ‘Harsh reality’ is Bernie Sanders will be Budget Committee chairman

Nikki Haley said Saturday it’s time to face the “harsh reality” that Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders will chair of the Senate Budget Committee, now that Democrats control the chamber.

“He has vowed to use his position to enact his progressive agenda on healthcare, climate, infrastructure spending, & cutting defense spending,” the former U.N. ambassador tweeted, calling Sanders a “socialist.”

NIKKI HALEY LAUNCHES PAC TO SUPPORT CONSERVATIVE CANDIDATES, ‘LASER-FOCUSED’ ON 2022 MIDTERMS

Sanders, a self-described Democratic socialist, has been the ranking member of the budget committee since 2015, which means he was the most senior member of the minority party. Traditionally, the majority party member with the greatest seniority on a particular committee serves as chairman.

The budget committee’s current chair is Sen. Mike Enzi, R-Wyo. However, Democrats won both Senate runoffs in Georgia earlier this month, putting the party narrowly in control.

Sanders addressed his new role this week.

“In the past, Republicans used budget reconciliation to pass massive tax breaks for the rich and large corporations with a simple majority vote,” he tweeted. “As the incoming Chairman of the Budget Committee, I will fight to use the same process to boldly address the needs of working families.”

Haley, a Republican widely considered a 2024 presidential contender, warned that the liberal wing of the Democratic Party would push a socialist agenda if they won the White House and Senate.

BERNIE SANDERS TEASES POWER IN BUDGET COMMITTEE ROLE

“He has said he wants to slash military budgets and called for $97 trillion more in federal spending,” she said of Sanders in November.

Haley also blasted President-elect Joe Biden’s plan for a nearly $2 trillion economic stimulus plan when he enters the White House next week.

“Hold onto your wallets. Biden’s 1.9 trillion ‘stimulus’ package is filled with wasteful spending & bailouts. An even larger spending blowout will follow,” she said.

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The former South Carolina governor announced this week that she has set up a political action committee that will be “laser-focused on the 2022 midterms and electing a conservative force” to restore GOP power in the House and Senate.

Manchin says 14th Amendment ouster should be ‘consideration’ for Sens. Hawley, Cruz

West Virginia Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin says removing Sens. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., and Ted Cruz, R-Texas, over their objections to the 2020 presidential election results should be “a consideration.”

In an interview Friday on PBS’s “Firing Line,” Manchin said the senators‘ insistence on objecting to Pennsylvania’s Electoral College votes even after supporters of President Trump stormed the U.S. Capitol was “totally unconscionable” and triggering the 14th Amendment is now an option.

HAWLEY DEFENDS OBJECTION TO ELECTORAL COLLEGE RESULTS: ‘I WILL NOT BOW TO A LAWLESS MOB’

The third section of the amendment states that no lawmaker holding office “shall have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof.”

Congress may “by a vote of two-thirds of each House, remove such disability,” the section states.

Added to the Constitution after the Civil War, the amendment was designed to cover instances of sedition, Manchin told host Margaret Hoover.

“That those people should never hold public office, they should never have the public microphone, they should never be allowed to be in a position of power or of decision-making, or purpose, because they’re going to serve themselves,” he said.

“Would you support, senator, the removal of Sen. Hawley and Sen. Cruz through the 14th Amendment, Section 3?” Hoover asked.

“Well, they should look, absolutely,” he said, referring to the Senate. “I mean, basically, that should be a consideration.”

Cruz “understands that,” Manchin added. “Ted’s a very bright individual, and I get along fine with Ted. But what he did was totally outside the realm of our responsibilities or our privileges that we have.”

None of the senators immediately responded to requests for comment from Fox News.

The Jan. 6 siege of the Capitol left five dead, including 42-year-old Capitol Police Officer Brian D. Sicknick.

Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, front, followed by Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., walks from the House Chamber during a joint session to confirm the Electoral College votes on Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

Washington, D.C., U.S. Attorney Michael Sherwin told reporters Friday that investigator would have more than 300 open criminal cases by the end of the day.

Democrats have accused Hawley and Cruz of inciting Trump supporters for political gain, a charge the senators have vehemently denied.

In an interview with Politico last week, Cruz said he was debating principle, law and the Constitution, which he said is “the exact opposite of inciting violence.”

CRUZ WILL ATTEND BIDEN INAUGURATION

Manchin, however, said there was “no way” the Republican senators could not be considered complicit in the day’s events.

“That they think they can walk away and say ‘I just exercised my right as a senator?’ Especially after we came back here and after they saw what happened,” he said.

“I want to see all of those people that made the objection and stuck with their objection … were you sending out fundraising requests while this was going on — the insurrection to our Capitol — tell me that,” he told PBS.

After violent protesters loyal to President Donald Trump storm the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday, Jan. 6, Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., walks to the House chamber to challenge the results of the presidential election in Pennsylvania. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

Cruz and Hawley were also slammed for sending out fundraising messages to their constituents as rioters pushed toward the Capitol’s doors.

Responding to a tweet from Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., on Jan. 7, Cruz said he told his team to halt fundraising “within minutes” of the attack and denied that debating the formation of a commission to review election results “somehow supports terrorist violence.”

Hawley — though not mentioning his fundraising efforts — wrote a Wednesday op-ed in The Missouri Times blasting “much of the media” and “many members of the Washington establishment” who “want to deceive Americans into thinking those who raised concerns incited violence, simply by voicing the concern.”

“Some wondered why I stuck with my objection following the violence at the Capitol,” Hawley added. “The reason is simple: I will not bow to a lawless mob, or allow criminals to drown out the legitimate concerns of my constituents.”

Hawley said constituents had contacted him about concerns over election integrity after Trump’s loss in states he doesn’t represent.

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Manchin said that he has talked with Hawley he could tell the matter is “weighing on him.”

Both senators are facing calls to resign for continuing their objections to an election in which allegations of widespread voter fraud have been debunked and tossed out of court.

Migrant caravan demands Biden administration ‘honors its commitments’

A migrant caravan moving from Honduras toward the U.S. border is calling on the incoming Biden administration to honor what it says are “commitments” to the migrants moving north, amid fears of a surge at the border when President-elect Joe Biden enters office.

More than 1,000 Honduran migrants moved into Guatemala on Friday without registering, The Associated Press reported. That is part of a larger caravan that left a Honduran city earlier in the day.

BIDEN OFFICIALS URGE CAUTION ON ‘DAY ONE’ IMMIGRATION CHANGES, SAY SOME WILL ‘TAKE TIME’

The outlet reported that they are hoping for a warmer reception when they reach the U.S. border, and a statement issued by migrant rights group Pueblo Sin Fronteras, on behalf of the caravan, said it expects the Biden administration to take action.

“We recognize the importance of the incoming Government of the United States having shown a strong commitment to migrants and asylum seekers, which presents an opportunity for the governments of Mexico and Central America to develop policies and a migration management that respect and promote the human rights of the population in mobility,” the statement said. ” We will advocate that the Biden government honors its commitments.”

Biden has promised to reverse many of Trump’s policies on border security and immigration. He has promised to end the Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP), which keeps migrants in Mexico as they await their hearings. The Trump administration has said the program has helped end the pull factors that bring migrants north, but critics say it is cruel and puts migrants at risk.

Biden has also promised a pathway to citizenship for those in the country illegally and a moratorium on deportations by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The migrants’ group also pointed to promises to end the asylum cooperative agreements the administration made with Northern Triangle countries.

TRUMP SAYS ‘I KEPT MY PROMISES’ AS HE MARKS 450 MILES OF BORDER WALL

“A new United States Government is an opportunity to work with the Mexican Government to develop a cooperation plan with Central America to address the causes of migration, together with civil society organizations, as well as an opportunity to increase regional cooperation regarding the persons in need of protection, and to dismantle illegal and inhuman programs such as Remain in Mexico, the United States’ Asylum Cooperation Agreements with El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras, as well as the Title 42 expulsions by the United States authorities,” it said, referring to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) order that allows the U.S. to quickly remove migrants on public health grounds.

Biden officials, however, have been keen to send the message to migrants that it will not mean open borders overnight.

“Processing capacity at the border is not like a light that you can just switch on and off,” incoming Biden domestic policy adviser Susan Rice told Spanish wire service EFE. “Migrants and asylum seekers absolutely should not believe those in the region peddling the idea that the border will suddenly be fully open to process everyone on Day 1. It will not.”

“Our priority is to reopen asylum processing at the border consistent with the capacity to do so safely and to protect public health, especially in the context of COVID-19,” she said. “This effort will begin immediately but it will take months to develop the capacity that we will need to reopen fully.”

It is unclear how far the migrants will get, and Guatemalan and Mexican governments have indicated they intend to turn them back. But the caravan comes amid fears that the new outlook on immigration and asylum from the Biden administration will fuel a surge at the border.

Acting Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Commissioner Mark Morgan said on “Fox & Friends” on Saturday that the caravan could include more than 5,000 migrants and blamed the tone from the incoming administration.

“We’re looking at two groups that are well over five thousand. And one of those groups have already gotten through the Guatemala border. And they’re on their way to El Rancho, which is about the located centrally in Guatemala,” he said. “It’s coming. It’s already started, just as we promised and anticipated it would with this rhetoric from the new administration on the border.”

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President Trump warned this week that ending his policies and increasing incentives would lead to “a tidal wave of illegal immigration, a wave like you’ve never seen before” and that there were already signs of increased flows.

“They’re coming because they think that it’s a gravy train at the end,” he said. “It’s going to be a gravy train. Change the name from the caravans, which I think we came up with, to the gravy train because that’s what they’re looking for — looking for the gravy.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

25,000 National Guard troops deployed to Capitol as Biden inauguration looms

As President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration nears, officials have boosted the number of National Guard members deployed in Washington, D.C., to 25,000 — an increase of 25 percent.

CAPITOL POLICE WARNED BEFORE RIOT THAT ‘CONGRESS ITSELF’ COULD BE TARGETED

Guard members have fanned out across the U.S. Capitol lawn, inside the building and in surrounding areas of D.C. for days. It’s an unprecedented security force, deemed necessary in the wake of a deadly riot at the Capitol and continuing threats of domestic terrorism.

Armed members of the National Guard are stationed outside of the Capitol building on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, Jan. 14, 2021. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

At least 7,000 National Guard troops from dozens of states are already on the ground in the nation’s capital, with more expected to arrive in coming days at the request of the Secret Service, said Army Gen. Daniel Hokanson, chief of the National Guard Bureau.

The military security force will be more than three times the total number of U.S. troops currently deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan, reflecting heightened concerns after supporters of President Trump stormed the Capitol while lawmakers were certifying his loss in the Nov. 3 presidential election.

DC DESIGNATES TWO AREAS FOR INAUGURATION DAY PROTESTS AMID HEIGHTENED SECURITY

Hundreds of National Guard troops inside the Capitol on Wednesday, Jan. 13, 2021. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

“The National Guard has a long and proud history of inauguration support,” Hokanson said during an security briefing with Vice President Pence last week. “The forefathers of today’s National Guard were present for the inauguration of George Washington, and we have been part of every inauguration since.”

The National Guard has been briefed on the potential threat of IEDs throughout the city after pipe bombs were discovered outside the Democratic and Republican National Committee headquarters the day of the Capitol riot. The culprit remains at large.

NATIONAL GUARD ON LOOKOUT FOR IEDS WITH CULPRIT BEHIND RNC, DNC BOMBS STILL ON THE LOOSE

Members of the National Guard patrol outside the Capitol Building on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, Jan. 14, 2021. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

Biden’s inauguration ceremony is slated to take place outside the Capitol on Wednesday. While there will not be the usual throngs of spectators, security officials from multiple law enforcement agencies are worried about online “chatter” that the FBI said points to the possibility of further violence from Trump supporters who believe, falsely, that the election was “stolen.”

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City officials are erecting a perimeter throughout downtown and putting up barriers around the White House, National Mall and Capitol. In order to travel through the perimeter, people will need to provide proof of essential purpose.

The National Mall — with the exception of two designated zones for a limited and tightly controlled number of protesters — will remain closed until the day after the event, as will a perimeter around the monuments, White House and other sections of Pennsylvania Avenue.

Fox News’ Lucas Tomlinson contributed to this report.

Pennsylvania Sen. Toomey thanks National Guard troops protecting Capitol with sweets

Pennsylvania Sen. Pat Toomey, who keeps the famed “candy desk” well-stocked in the Senate, is sharing his supply with National Guard troops protecting the Capitol.

Toomey’s staff put together 150 packages of candy and hand-delivered them Friday to members of the National Guard who have been deployed in the wake of the deadly Capitol riot on Jan. 6.

EARLY-MORNING CAPITOL PHOTOS SHOW NATIONAL GUARD TROOPS RESTING AHEAD OF IMPEACHMENT DEBATE

Toomey has been maintaining the candy desk in the back row of the chamber since 2015 so senators can grab a sugary treat as they debate the country’s thorniest issues.

A staffer for Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Penn., delivers candy care packages to members of the National Guard on Friday.
(Sen. Pat Toomey’s office)

Toomey, a Republican, has an ample supply of sweets, thanks to Pennsylvania’s numerous candy makers, including Hershey, Just Born confections and Palmer chocolates.

On Friday, his staff handed out surgary care packages to Pennsylvania National Guard members and others. It was an expression of gratitude for their service in the wake of a harrowing week at the Capitol.

Sen. Pat Toomey’s staff prepare to distribute candy care packages on Jan. 15, 2021, to National Guard members stationed in force at the Capitol.
(Sen. Pat Toomey’s office)

Since the riot by a pro-Trump mob, security has been extremely tight in Washington, D.C., ahead of President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration on Wednesday, with numerous road closures and barriers.

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A total of 21,000 National Guard and 5,000 active-duty troops have been deployed to D.C. amid continuing threats of domestic terrorism.

Fox News’ Jennifer Griffin contributed to this report.

Pompeo urges WHO to probe Wuhan lab illnesses, demands Beijing be transparent

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Friday urged the World Health Organization (WHO) to take a closer look at the lab in Wuhan, China, where the COVID-19 pandemic is believed to have originated — while demanding Beijing provide a “full and thorough” account.

“The United States has repeatedly called for a transparent and thorough investigation into the origin of COVID-19. Understanding the origin of this pandemic is essential for global public health, economic recovery, and international security,” Pompeo said in a statement.

WHO SCIENTISTS ARRIVE IN WUHAN TO INVESTIGATE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC ORIGINS

His statement comes as 13 WHO scientists arrived in Wuhan this week to investigate the origins of the pandemic, which has killed hundreds of thousands of people and torpedoed economies across the globe.

The U.S. has long expressed doubts about the WHO, and President Trump terminated the U.S. relationship with the U.N. body last year amid questions about its bias toward China and its acceptance of early narratives about the virus. The U.S. had been the top contributor to the agency to the tune of approximately $450 million a year.

The U.S. criticized WHO officials’ praise of Chinese “transparency,” its’ ignoring of warnings about the virus from Taiwan, and its repetition of Chinese claims that COVID-19 could not be spread from person to person. Trump has also pointed to opposition from WHO officials to his decision to place a travel ban on China in the initial days of the crisis.

On Friday, the State Department shared what it said was new information about the lab in Wuhan, specifically that researchers fell sick in autumn 2019 with symptoms consistent with both COVID and seasonal illnesses. Pompeo said it raises questions about officials’ claims that there was “zero infection” among staff and students.

STATE DEPARTMENT SAYS WUHAN LAB RESEARCHERS MAY HAVE HAD COVID IN THE FALL OF 2019

Additionally, it urges the WHO to investigate the Wuhan lab’s research on the virus, accusing it of not being transparent about “gain of function” experiments to enhance lethality or transmission — as well as the lab’s alleged links to the military research.

Pompeo then took aim at China again for its lack of accountability and refusal to accept help.

“China instead refused offers of help — including from the United States — and punished brave Chinese doctors, scientists, and journalists who tried to alert the world to the dangers of the virus,” he said. “Beijing continues today to withhold vital information that scientists need to protect the world from this deadly virus, and the next one.”

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“The United States reiterates the importance of unfettered access to virus samples, lab records and personnel, eyewitnesses, and whistleblowers to ensure the credibility of the WHO’s final report,” he added. “Until the CCP allows a full and thorough accounting of what happened in Wuhan, it is only a matter of time until China births another pandemic and inflicts it on the Chinese people, and the world.”

Biden picks Obama veterans for key State Department posts

President-elect Joe Biden announced Saturday that he will nominate two Obama administration veterans to key State Department posts.

Wendy Sherman, who led the U.S. negotiating team for the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, is his pick for deputy secretary of state. Biden has promised to re-enter the deal, reversing President Trump’s 2018 withdrawal.

BIDEN ANNOUNCE ADDITIONS TO WHITE HOUSE COMMUNICATIONS TEAM, INCLUDES FORMER CAMPAIGN STAFFERS

Sherman tweeted that she is “so honored to be nominated to join this extraordinary team.”

Victoria Nuland, assistant secretary of state for European and Eurasian affairs in the Obama administration, is Biden’s pick for undersecretary of state for political affairs.

Nuland and Sherman are the two highest-profile former Obama officials among the five officials announced Saturday. They will serve under the incoming secretary of state, Antony Blinken, who served as deputy secretary of state and principal deputy national security adviser in the Obama administration.

“This diverse and accomplished team, led by Secretary of State-designate Blinken, embodies my core belief that America is strongest when it works with our allies,” Biden said in a statement.

“Collectively, they have secured some of the most defining national security and diplomatic achievements in recent memory — and I am confident that they will use their diplomatic experience and skill to restore America’s global and moral leadership. America is back,” he said.

Biden also announced that his longtime Senate aide Brian McKeon will be deputy secretary of state for management.

Bonnie Jenkins will be undersecretary for arms control and international security affairs, and Uzra Zeya will be undersecretary for civilian security, democracy and human rights. Both are former diplomats.

The picks all require Senate confirmation.

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While Biden has emphasized the experience of all his nominees, the number of former Obama officials on his State Department team underscores his intent to return to a multilateralist approach, rejecting the “America First” mandate espoused by President Trump.

The announcements come a day after it was announced that former Obama White House communications director Anita Dunn will serve as a senior adviser to Biden.

Fox News’ Patrick Ward and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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