Biden Introduces Lloyd Austin As Defense Secretary: Livestream

WILMINGTON, DE — President-elect Joe Biden on Wednesday will hold an event to introduce retired Gen. Lloyd Austin as his pick for U.S. secretary of defense. Should Lloyd be confirmed by Congress, he will be the first Black person to head the Pentagon.

The event is scheduled to start at 1:30 p.m. ET. Watch using the above video player or on YouTube.

On Tuesday, Biden made his case for Austin, urging Congress to waive a legal prohibition against a recently serving military officer running the Pentagon.

With concern rising in Congress about maintaining civilian control of the military, Biden suggested he felt a need to counter an emerging narrative that Austin's nomination blurs the lines between civil and military roles.

“Given the immense and urgent threats and challenges our nation faces, he should be confirmed swiftly,” Biden wrote in The Atlantic. It was his first public confirmation that Austin is his pick for Pentagon chief, although word had leaked out Monday, prompting criticism and skepticism from some in Congress.

The historic nature of Austin's nomination, particularly in a year of extraordinary racial tension in the country, adds an intriguing dimension to the debate in Congress over one of the key members of Biden's Cabinet.

Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi followed Biden's lead, announcing her support and calling Austin “particularly well-positioned to lead during this precarious moment."

Austin was an unexpected choice. Most speculation centered on Michele Flournoy, an experienced Washington hand and Biden supporter. She would have been the first woman to run the Pentagon.

Flournoy issued a statement Tuesday congratulating Austin and calling him a man of deep integrity.

Austin is widely admired for his military service, which includes leading troops in combat in Iraq and Afghanistan and overseeing U.S. military operations throughout the greater Middle East as head of Central Command.

But the requirement for a congressional waiver makes getting him installed as Pentagon chief more complicated than usual. Austin retired in 2016 after 41 years in the Army and has never held a political position.