Blinken: Allies Look at Biden's Record, Not Debate Performance

U.S. allies are less concerned about President Joe Biden's performance in his recent debate with former President Donald Trump than they are about his record, according to Secretary of State Antony Blinken, the Washington Examiner reported.

"So what I'm seeing, what I'm hearing is, again, people are looking at the last 3 1/2 years," he said. "They're looking at policies. They're looking at policy choices. And for the most part, they like the choices and the policies that this president is pursuing.

"If you look at surveys around the world — for what they're worth — you see again and again and again that confidence in American leadership has gone up dramatically over the last 3 1/2 years," Blinken said Monday at the Brookings Institution.

"That doesn't just happen. It's the product of choices. It's the product of policies that we pursue. It's the product of our engagement."

The Examiner reported that Blinken's attempt to project a sense of normalcy was overshadowed by Biden's weak debate performance last week, which sparked crises within the Democratic Party.

An indirect question prompted Blinken's defense of Biden, revealing the implicit concern about Biden's age and readiness.

Brookings Institution Vice President Suzanne Maloney asked, "You have worked with President Joe Biden for decades. Can you tell us what you think friends and foes around the world should know about American leadership today under President Biden?"

"There's a desire, there's a thirst for American engagement, for American leadership. Even when we have disagreements with countries, they still want us in this and even leading to try to get to a better place," Blinken said.

"And they've seen a president who's reinvested America, reinvested America in the world, reinvested in these alliances, in these partnerships, in ways that they seek and want."

Despite Blinken's reassurances, some international reactions were less favorable. A senior European diplomat, reflecting on the debate, expressed a lack of confidence in Biden's capabilities.

"It was a s*** show, to be honest," the official told the Washington Examiner. "And I share everybody else's opinion [regarding] Biden's performance.

"No matter how much they were able to pump him up the next day in Raleigh, I don't think he is up to the task anymore."

When asked if this pertained to campaigning or presidential duties, the diplomat responded, "Both."

The Washington Examiner also reported a growing chorus of Democratic politicians and liberal media figures calling for Biden to withdraw from the race. This includes the New York Times editorial board, which wrote that Biden is clearly "not the man he was four years ago."

Editorial boards of the Chicago Tribune, The Wall Steet Journal, and The Atlanta Journal-Constitution; columnists at The New York Times and the Atlantic; and MSNBC's Joe Scarborough have also urged Biden to step aside.

Their concerns focused on Biden's age, aged appearance, and perceived inability to debate Trump and demonstrate full mental acuity effectively.