Michigan state legislature closes offices due to 'credible threats of violence'

Shortly before releasing his press release confirming retired four-star Gen. Lloyd Austin as his pick to lead the Pentagon, The Atlantic magazine published an op-ed penned by Biden op-ed, laying out the reasons behind his choice and noting their history together in the Obama administration.

“Today, I ask Lloyd Austin to once more take on a mission for the United States of America—this time as the secretary-designate of the Department of Defense. I know he will do an outstanding job,” Biden wrote.

Austin, the former commander of U.S. Central Command -- with jurisdiction over military activities in the Middle East -- retired in 2016 after more than 40 years of military service. If confirmed, he would be the first African American to lead the Pentagon.

Biden pointed to Austin’s ”many strengths and his intimate knowledge of the Department of Defense and our government” as factors that made him “the person we need in this moment," saying his experience leading the Iraq drawdown prepares him for coordinating vaccine distribution and connecting with American families.

“And the next secretary of defense will have to make sure that our armed forces reflect and promote the full diversity of our nation. Austin will bring to the job not only his personal experience, but the stories of the countless young people he has mentored. If confirmed, he will ensure that every member of the armed forces is treated with dignity and respect, including Black, Latino, Asian American, Native American, women, and LGBTQ service members," Biden wrote.

Biden also seemed to address the fact that Lloyd’s nomination would require a waiver given his recent military service -- something that some Democrats have already expressed opposition to.

“I respect and believe in the importance of civilian control of our military and in the importance of a strong civil-military working relationship at DoD—as does Austin," he wrote.

"Austin also knows that the secretary of defense has a different set of responsibilities than a general officer and that the civil-military dynamic has been under great stress these past four years," Biden added.

The announcement comes as Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris meet with civil rights leaders who have pushed Biden to name more people of color to senior-level Cabinet positions.

-ABC News' Molly Nagle

Trump this afternoon kicked off a self-congratulatory vaccine "summit" to tout the speed at which COVID-19 vaccines were produced -- speaking at the same time Biden was introducing his key health appointments and nominees.

The room in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on the White House complex was packed for the three-hour event, and it appeared almost everyone was wearing a mask, save for Trump. 

Asked why no members of the Biden transition were invited to participate, the president falsely claimed he won the election and that he won key swing states where Biden actually was victorious.

“We’re gonna have to see who the next administration is because we won in those swing states -- and there was terrible things that went on. So we’re gonna have to see who the next administration is,” Trump said. “But whichever the next administration is will really benefit by what we’ve been able to do with this incredible science.”

“We were rewarded with a victory,” Trump continued. “Let's see whether or not somebody has the courage -- whether it's legislatures or a justice of the Supreme Court or a number of justice of the Supreme Court. Let's see if they have the courage to do what everybody in this country knows is right.”

To date, Trump, his campaign and its allies have seen at least 38 defeats in court.

-ABC News' Ben Gittleson and Jordyn Phelps

Republicans and Democrats on the congressional committee planning next month's inauguration squabbled Tuesday morning over the election results, with Republicans voting against a measure from House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer acknowledging Biden's victory. 

"I made a motion that the committee notify the American people that it is preparing for the inauguration of Joseph Biden and Kamala Harris, and in consultation with them and health experts are doing so to protect the health of our people," Hoyer told reporters after the meeting. "That motion was defeated three to three."

All three Republicans on the panel -- Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, Senate Rules Committee Chairman Roy Blunt and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy -- voted against the measure, while Democrats on the panel -- Hoyer, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn. -- voted in favor.

Even as they refuse to acknowledge Biden's victory, Republicans called Hoyer's move a stunt that has no bearing on planning the inauguration: They are already working with Biden's inaugural committee, and the measure wasn't relevant to the day's meeting.  

“It is not the job of the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies to get ahead of the electoral process and decide who we are inaugurating. The JCCIC is facing the challenge of planning safe Inaugural Ceremonies during a global pandemic," Blunt said in a statement. "I would hope that, going forward, the members of the JCCIC would adhere to the committee’s long-standing tradition of bipartisan cooperation and focus on the task at hand.”

-ABC News' Benjamin Siegel

Dr. Rochelle Walensky, chief on infectious diseases as Massachusetts General who was tapped as Biden's pick to lead the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said her work on the HIV/AIDS pandemic brought her to this moment and said she is “honored” to serve an administration that will let science lead.

"I've dedicated my career ever since to researching and treating infectious diseases, and to ending the HIV/AIDS crisis for good. Now a new virus is ravaging us. It's striking hardest once again at the most vulnerable: the marginalized, the underserved," she said. "The pain is accelerating. Our defenses have worn down. We are losing life and hope at an alarming rate."

Walensky said she never anticipated taking on the role in government but compared the nation to a dying patient, said it's her calling as a doctor to respond.

"Every doctor knows that when a patient is coding, your plans don't matter. You answer the code. And when the nation is coding, if you are called to serve, serve. You run to take care of people, to stop the bleeding, to stabilize, to give them hope and a fighting chance to come back stronger," she said.