Biden to pick Buttigieg for transportation secretary

Former South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg once made a formidable opponent to President-elect Joe Biden, beating him in February’s Iowa caucuses. Now Biden has reportedly tapped him to serve as the cabinet secretary in charge of the nation’s highway system, planes, trains, and mass transit. Buttigieg is a prominent rising Democrat from red state Indiana who stood out in the primaries for frequently referencing his religious views and for being the first openly gay leading presidential candidate. He also served for seven months as a U.S. military intelligence officer in Afghanistan.

How is the transition going? Biden’s team is planning an inauguration outside the U.S. Capitol that will follow COVID-19 protocols. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is set to meet this week with Antony Blinken, Biden’s choice for the role. At the White House, press secretary Kayleigh McEnany told reporters on Tuesday that the president was “still involved in ongoing litigation related to the election. Yesterday’s [Electoral College] vote was one step in the constitutional process.”

Dig deeper: From the WORLD archives, read Jamie Dean’s cover story on Buttigieg, an avowed Protestant who bucks Biblical orthodoxy.