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Two former Obama White House officials who remain close to Biden said he never developed the type of strong personal relationship with Flournoy he sought in his Cabinet choices, and once the dust settled afterwards the election, Biden began to look into other options.
Jeh Johnson, Obama’s second homeland security secretary, is another prominent candidate, the people said. He would be the first black secretary of defense in an administration that has promised a diverse cabinet.
“Michele is still at the top of the list, but they still want to keep looking – and that’s a change,” said a former senior national security official who was closely monitoring the transition. The meaning is: “Let’s not be in a hurry here.”
Johnson and Flournoy did not respond to requests for comment. Biden’s transition team declined to comment.
Biden is also under pressure to look elsewhere in part due to Flournoy’s ties to the defense industry – she has worked for several defense consulting firms and in 2017 co-founded WestExec Advisers, which helps defense firms to market. their products at the Pentagon – and its support. for Obama’s push into Afghanistan, a move Biden opposed.
Tony Blinken’s selection as Biden’s secretary of state on Monday could further cloud his outlook. The two co-founded WestExec, a strategic consulting firm that keeps its client list a closely guarded secret.
The think tank she co-founded, the Center for a New American Security, also relies heavily on funding from defense contractors.
While Flournoy is widely considered the most qualified person for the job, her years of experience in the Pentagon and in the defense community may actually work against her. Some members of Biden’s team fear that Flournoy, who was Obama’s chief policy officer in the Pentagon, is too ingrained to embrace gradual change.
“Have you been here too long?” Do you know too many people? And are you unable to implement the kind of incremental change Biden seeks? Said the former national security official who is closely monitoring the transition. “Everyone in defense policy loves Michèle, and in a strange way I think that gives you a break.
Progressives, who pressured Biden to also represent the left wing of the Democratic Party in his cabinet, raised more questions on Monday about Flournoy’s views.
“Flournoy supported the war in Iraq and Libya, criticized Obama on Syria and contributed to the rise of Afghanistan”, tweeted Representative Ro Khanna, who was Bernie Sanders’ campaign co-chair for the White House. “I want to support the president’s choices. But will Flournoy now commit to a complete withdrawal from Afghanistan and a ban on arms sales to the Saudis to end the war in Yemen?
Flournoy seems sensitive to concern. She held a conference call with progressive organizations shortly before the election to listen to them and commit to a more rigorous review of arms sales to countries with unequal human rights histories.
There also appears to be a behind-the-scenes effort to raise her profile. A group of military family organizations approved her over the weekend for the top post, saying she had “undisputed expertise on a wide variety of subjects in the Department of Defense.”
A former government official who is in close contact with Biden’s transition team said Johnson, who also served as general counsel in the Defense Department during Obama’s first term, was under review in recent weeks for three posts: Attorney General, Director of National Intelligence. and Secretary of Defense.
Avril Haines’ selection on Monday to be the DNI leaves him in contention for the other two places, the former official said.
Still, Johnson’s own ties could raise concerns; he is a member of the Lockheed Martin board of directors.
Former officials also pointed out that while Flournoy remained a strong candidate, she had had policy differences with Biden, particularly over US military strategy in Afghanistan.
Flournoy played a leading role as Under Secretary of Defense for Policy in 2009 to advance Obama’s rise in military forces in Afghanistan, proposed by then-commander General Stanley McChrystal. Then-vice president Biden opposed the move, pushing for a much smaller counterterrorism force, but it was ultimately rejected.
“She agreed with McChrystal and others for whom we need more strength and Biden was not in favor of this specific approach,” said the former government official who is close to the transition.
Flournoy recently said that if she could start all over again, she would ask more questions, especially about the Afghans’ ability to consolidate military gains.
“I think we went into believing that we had a different type of partner in the Afghan government than what we actually had,” she said in a podcast with McChrystal, who also advises Biden.
Not everyone believes that Flournoy’s future is in doubt.
“We shouldn’t read too much into the timing,” said Richard Fontaine, CEO of CNAS. “In his brief tenure, this is already shaping up as a deliberate and cautious transition team. I’m sure we’ll see the next round of appointments soon enough.
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