The United States’ top diplomat defended the president Joe BidenHe said on the world stage on Monday that his shaky performance during last week’s debate does not undo the achievements of three and a half years of diplomatic achievements and that the US president is well-suited to lead.
The comments of the Minister of Foreign Affairs Anthony Blinkenone of Biden’s closest aides, repeated a statement that has often been used by Biden allies since Thursday evening in their efforts to downplay the president’s disastrous debate performance: It was just one bad night.
“If you look at surveys around the world — for what they’re worth — you see time and time again that confidence in American leadership has increased dramatically over the last three and a half years,” Blinken said. “That doesn’t happen by chance. It’s the product of choices, it’s the product of the policies we pursue, it’s the product of our engagement.”
“They see that President Biden has led in all of those different areas,” he added.
Blinken’s comments at a Brookings Institution event appeared to be aimed at foreign leaders concerned about Biden’s ability to serve as a global leader for the next four years.
Blinken typically refrains from commenting on domestic US politics, but the fallout from the debate was impossible for him to ignore, especially as it heightened concerns among US allies worried about the recovery of the US economy. Donald Trump.
While global flashpoints emerged in the debate—from the war in Ukraine to the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan—there was little actual discussion of policy. Trump merely shrugged when asked about his commitment to NATO.
And in the hours and days after the debate, Western allies have joined American voters in focusing their concerns on Biden’s poor performance on stage.
Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski appeared to draw a comparison between Biden’s performance during the debate and the end of the Roman Empire in a cryptic message on X early Friday morning, several hours after the debate.
“Marcus Aurelius was a great emperor, but he ruined his succession by passing the baton to his worthless son Commodus,” Sikorski wrote. “It’s important to master the ride into the sunset.”
During the event, Blinken was asked about the future of the transatlantic alliance after France’s far-right Rassemblement National won a decisive victory in the first round of the country’s parliamentary elections.
Marine Le Pen, who heads the far-right alliance, previously vowed to pull France out of NATO’s military wing if elected president, although her party has softened its stance on NATO in recent years.
Without addressing France specifically, Blinken emphasized that he was not concerned about the future of the transatlantic alliance.
“The alliance is working to ensure that we have the right defenses within the alliance where they are needed,” Blinken said. “This has been a clear trajectory for the past three and a half years. I don’t really see that changing, regardless of the politics of the moment in Europe.”
