Hello from Washington, I'm Chuck Todd and this is the Chuck Todd cast.

We are a month and a half away from Joe Biden's inauguration.

We're starting to get a good look at how the new administration is viewing its team this

week.

We learned that retired four star general Lloyd Austin is picked for defense secretary.

This makes the third Democratic president in a row who has chosen a general or a Republican

and not a Democrat.

For the top Pentagon job, plus we have new names for HHS housing and urban development

and the CDC.

But we're still waiting on at least one big nomination and that's for Attorney General.

Joining me today, Annie Linsky, National Public Reporter for the Washington Post and Alex Thompson,

reporter for Politico and co-author of the Transition Paper.

Later in the show Sarah Isker-Floris joins me, senior writer at the dispatch, talk about

how Americans are viewing the election and the polarized view of it.

But first, start with Annie and Alex.

Welcome to the podcast and I want to start with the Pentagon situation, Annie and the

larger picture.

I want to get into the specifics on Austin and Biden in a minute.

But here we are and it's the point of the third Democratic president in a row.

Bill Clinton had Bill Cohen as the second term Pentagon chief at the time, a Republican

Senator who was retiring.

He picks him.

...