President Joe Biden is considering appointing Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti to a diplomatic post — likely U.S. Ambassador to India, according to a report Tuesday evening by Axios.
The second-term mayor was an early backer of Biden’s campaign. But in December, he turned down an offer to serve in the Biden administration. As Breitbart News, citing Politico, reported at the time:
“Joe Biden has told me for the last two years that he was very interested in me coming to Washington, D.C., and there were things on the table for me,” Garcetti said.
He added: “As the administration reached out to me about serving, I let them know early this week that my city needs me now, and then I want to be here and that I need to be here.”
However, Garcetti’s calculations may have changed, as Axios reported (original emphasis):
President Biden is considering naming Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti to a high-profile ambassadorship, possibly India, people familiar with the matter tell Axios.
Why it matters: The potential exit of the Democratic executive for the nation’s second-largest city would come as L.A. faces record homelessness and a court order to find shelter for a massive Skid Row population by the end of September. It could further destabilize California politics amid a recall attempt against Gov. Gavin Newsom, also a Democrat.
The big picture: Garcetti was a co-chair of Biden’s campaign and remains a key political ally. India, with 1.4 billion people, is the world’s most populous democracy — giving its political and economic future outsized stakes.
Several months ago, Black Lives Matter protesters demonstrated outside Garcetti’s home against the possibility that he would be appointed to Biden’s cabinet.
Dr. Melina Abdullah, one of the founders of the movement, told Deadline at the time: “It’s beyond disheartening that Biden would ignore the calls of Black organizers who helped elect him and appoint Garcetti to any position the very day after LAPD violently assailed protestors in front of the mayor’s mansion.”
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