INTRODUCING LLOYD AUSTIN: Later today, President-elect Joe Biden will introduce retired four-star Gen. Lloyd Austin as his nominee to be defense secretary at a 2:30 p.m. event in Wilmington, Delaware, noting his barrier-breaking military career, while insisting he picked Austin because of his experience and demeanor, not his race.

“He was the first African American general officer to lead an Army corps in combat and the first African American to command an entire theater of war; if confirmed, he will be the first African American to helm the Defense Department,” Biden wrote in the Atlantic. But Biden said his selection of Austin came from the relationship they developed during Biden’s time as vice president. “Above all, I chose Lloyd Austin as my nominee for secretary of defense because I know how he reacts under pressure.”