President Biden began his final week in office Monday with a strong defense of his foreign policy, insisting in an afternoon speech that the United States is stronger on his watch.
With seven days left to hand over the White House to President-elect Donald J. Trump, Mr. Biden will use his remaining time to water down his historic accomplishments as a transformative leader who galvanized America at home and abroad. I’m thinking of doing it. Only one term.
The effort will begin Monday at 2 p.m. with a speech at the State Department highlighting what he sees as success on the international stage. He will say he has strengthened America’s alliances both in Europe in the face of Russian aggression and in Asia-Pacific amid the rise of China. At the same time, he will argue that America’s adversaries, particularly Russia, China and Iran, are all weaker than they were when he took office.
“He’s going to ask, ‘Is America stronger than it was four years ago?’ And he’s going to answer that question with a resounding yes,” said National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan. It was said in the preview on CNN’s “State of the Union” on Sunday. “As I said before, our alliances are stronger. Our enemies and competitors are weaker. We have kept our country out of war. Today, every element of American power… is becoming more powerful.”
The speech will be the first of the week aimed at laying out the best case for Biden’s presidency as it comes to an end. He is scheduled to deliver a widely televised farewell address to the nation in prime time Wednesday night, as many presidents have done. He is also scheduled to speak this week about his protection record and at the commander-in-chief’s memorial service at Joint Base Myers-Henderson Hall.
On foreign policy, Mr. Biden has led through a tumultuous period, with Mr. Trump criticizing him for wars in Ukraine and Gaza, although there is no direct U.S. military involvement on the ground in either region. Some critics say the perception that the world is on fire and that Biden is out of control will lead to a decline in his political popularity at home and ultimately lead to him withdrawing from the election under pressure. Point out that this has happened.
Peter Ruff, director of the Hudson Institute’s Center for Europe and Eurasia and a former aide to President George W. It reflects the flaws in Bush.
“Biden has spent most of his tenure on the defensive, first in Ukraine and then in Gaza,” Ruff continued. “The president’s liberal internationalism in the 1990s may have been well-intentioned, but it always felt to me to be out of proportion to the power politics of the 2020s.”
still, New Gallup poll released Monday The U.S. position in Europe has improved significantly under Biden. Of the 30 NATO allies surveyed, approval ratings for U.S. leadership have increased in all but four since 2020, the last year of Trump’s administration. Approval ratings rose by double digits in 20 out of 30 countries. In Germany, for example, approval for U.S. leadership rose from just 6% under Trump to 52% under Biden.
In withdrawing U.S. troops from Afghanistan and extricating the United States from the longest war in history, Biden has finally achieved what his two predecessors had hoped and failed to accomplish. However, the chaotic nature of the withdrawal caused great damage to both his and the country’s standing in the world.
Mr. Biden has rallied much of the world against Russia’s unprovoked, all-out invasion of Ukraine, reinvigorated NATO after relations deteriorated under Mr. Trump, and reinvigorated the two countries of Sweden and Finland. It also allowed new countries to join. He directed tens of billions of dollars worth of American weapons into Ukraine and thwarted Russia’s attempt to take over the country.
However, Biden faced criticism from two different directions. Some complain that he is reluctant to provide more powerful weapons for fear of escalation with the nuclear superpowers, while others say that he devotes too much American treasure to other countries’ wars. He also complained that he was also investing. And after initial surprising successes, Ukraine’s defense has stalled, with Mr. Trump now promising to end the war with what are expected to be concessions to Russian President Vladimir V. Putin.
The Gaza war, which followed the Hamas terrorist attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, was another major crisis during Biden’s tenure. He staunchly supported Israel and provided weapons for an all-out attack on Hamas, but ultimately under pressure from the United States to do more to limit civilian casualties and alleviate humanitarian suffering. This led to frustration with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who refused to do so.
In his final moments, Mr. Biden is still working hard to reach an elusive ceasefire agreement that would end the fighting and lead to the release of Israeli hostages held in Gaza, including several U.S. citizens. Sullivan said Sunday that U.S. negotiators were “very close” to a deal, but it was unclear whether it would be done by next Monday, when Trump takes office.
As with Ukraine, Biden faced criticism from both sides. On the one hand, he was criticized for not doing more to stop the killing of civilians and was dubbed “Massacre Joe” at the protests. Conversely, he was accused of pressuring Israel to exercise restraint in the face of existing terrorist threats.
