Axios is reporting that President-elect Joe Biden is considering a high profile ambassadorship for Pete Buttigieg, possibly sending him to China.
The former mayor of South Bend, Indiana, has been compared by Biden to his late son Beau, and would be 39-years-old at the time if the Senate confirmed him to that position.
“I don’t think I’ve ever done this before, but he reminds me of my son Beau. I know that may not mean much to most people, but, to me, it’s the highest compliment I can give any man or woman.”
Letting him deepen his foreign policy chops could boost Buttigieg’s future, since many inside the Democratic Party believe his return as a presidential candidate is a matter of when, not if.
China isn’t the only foreign post where Buttigieg could end up, and he remains a consideration for a domestic position as well, but the Biden team has been focusing on appointing women and people of color to high-level posts.
Buttigieg has so far been passed over as ambassador to the United Nations or leading the Department of Veterans Affairs. He is also under consideration for a domestic cabinet leadership position, such as Transportation or Commerce.
Some of Buttigieg’s backers see a political upside to a domestic Cabinet role in which he can build his relationship with Black voters, who largely rejected his candidacy.