By Tony O’Riley-
Joe Biden has made it clear he is against a guarded border between Ireland and Northern Ireland.
On Tuesday, Mr Biden said he was yet to begin receiving the president’s daily intelligence reports, but confirmed he had been offered them.
The bulletin, called the president’s daily brief, consists of a collection of classified intelligence reports prepared every day to give the US leader updates on major security threats around the world.
Speaking to reporters in Wilmington, Delaware, the U.S President-elect said he had discussed the issue with Boris Johnson and other European leaders.
“We do not want a guarded border,” he said on Tuesday. “We want to make sure we work hard to get Ireland worked out.
“I’ve talked with the British prime minister; I’ve talked with the Taoiseach; I’ve talked with others and I’ve talked with the French.
“The idea of having the border north and south once again being closed, it’s just not right. We’ve just got to keep the border open.”
He said in September: “We can’t allow the Good Friday Agreement that brought peace to Northern Ireland to become a casualty of Brexit.
Biden’s comments on Tuesday came as the president-elect began announcing the first of his cabinet picks, including several firsts for America.
President Trump confirmed on Monday that he had given the green light to the head of the General Services Administration (GSA) to proceed with the changeover, after refusing to co-operate with the transition throughout much of the month since the election was called for Joe Biden.
The GSA is responsible for many of the basic services that allow the US government to function, from buildings and transport management to IT, financial services, supply chains and human resources.
Despite this turnaround, however, the incumbent has still vowed to keep up the fight against the election, having repeatedly refused to concede that he lost.
Avril Haines was introduced as the first woman to hold the position of director of national intelligence, while Alejandro Mayorkas, a Cuban-American, will be the first Latino and immigrant to lead the Department of Homeland Security.