Henry Kissinger, who served as secretary of state for presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford, said last week that though he has often disagreed with Joe Biden on foreign policy, he is convinced he will be a moderate and "thoughtful" on such issues if he assumes the presidency.
"Very capable foreign policy advisers stood by him during the election campaign," Kissinger said Friday in an interview with Mathias Döpfner, CEO of Axel Springer SE at an event marking the end of the WELT Economic Summit in Paris.
The 97-year-old former diplomat spoke virtually from his home in New York. Business Insider reported on the interview.
"What will happen in the post-election period isn't entirely clear," Kissinger said, "but I will use my leverage, albeit small, to promote the unity of the nation."
Kissinger noted he has known Biden more than 40 years, having first met him when the newly elected junior senator from Delaware attended a high-level meeting of the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee.
"So he's coming in and I didn't know who he was. I said, 'I didn't know staff members were allowed to attend this meeting,'" Kissinger said. "Biden didn't make a big fuss about this at the time. Over the years he has told this story I don't know how many times. I like him as a person.
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