Politics

REPORT: Biden Considering Last-Minute Republican Pick For Commerce Secretary

This combination of pictures created on November 4, 2020 shows Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden gestures after speaking during election night at the Chase Center in Wilmington, Delaware, and US President Donald Trump speaks during election night in the East Room of the White House in Washington, DC, early on November 4, 2020. - President Donald Trump and Democratic challenger Joe Biden are battling it out for the White House, with polls closed across the United States Tuesday -- and a long night of waiting for results in key battlegrounds on the cards. (Photo by ANGELA WEISS,MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images)

(Photo by ANGELA WEISS,MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images)

Anders Hagstrom White House Correspondent
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President-elect Joe Biden is considering several Republican picks for commerce secretary, Axios reported Tuesday.

Biden’s potential pick would be designed to send a message to Republicans that Biden is listening to their concerns on international trade and economic troubles, according to Axios. Biden has already fleshed out a large portion of his cabinet, including his foreign policy, public health, and economic teams.

Biden’s camp hasn’t floated any Republican names, and the transition team has not announced an intent to nominate a conservative. (RELATED: Buttigieg Rips Trump On China’s Human Rights Abuses, But Offers No Solutions)

There are several Republicans who denounced President Donald Trump during his tenure and even endorsed Biden’s run that may serve as palatable nominees for the Democrat. Deceased Republican Arizona Sen. John McCain was arguably representative of the anti-Trump movement within the Republican Party, and those aligned with him or who thought similarly to him may have a place in the incoming administration.

While Trump has not officially conceded the election, he did authorize his administration to begin the transition process more than two weeks ago. He and his campaign have also lost or withdrawn lawsuits challenging election results in Nevada, Georgia, Arizona, Wisconsin, Michigan, Pennsylvania and the Supreme Court.

None of Biden’s selections so far have been conservative. Biden selected his former presidential primary rival Pete Buttigieg for transportation secretary Tuesday, marking the most recent addition to his cabinet. Biden at multiple points during the campaign vowed to be a president for “all Americans.”

Biden also promised in March to put former opponent Beto O’Rourke in charge of his administration’s gun control policies, but he has made no formal announcement since the election.