Former President Trump believed foreign policy and domestic policy are inextricably linked and America must be good at home in order to lead the rest of the planet. Biden, on the other hand, secretly hoped he could keep the two worlds a little more isolated in these times.
He’s Failing on Every Front
Biden is failing to get major components of his aggressive domestic program past his own party (let alone a bitterly fragmented Congress) as he goes to a series of crucial international engagements.
This, coupled with snafus in Afghanistan, disagreements with friends like France, and the inability to achieve some important foreign policy objectives, is jeopardizing Biden’s legitimacy as he gathers with his foreign peers. It’s also contributed to low anticipation for the upcoming global summits.
Few leaders, if any, have an easy first year. Biden faces the unique difficulty of dealing with the health and financial consequences of the COVID-19 outbreak. However, having spent years in Washington, Biden’s missteps are surprising, in part because he has vast knowledge on both domestic and foreign affairs.
The Biden policy of giving illegal immigrants $450K each is totally unacceptable. The Biden Admin unleashed the worst Border Crisis in more than 30 years all because they dismantled policies that were working & sent a message south of the border that America's borders are OPEN. pic.twitter.com/idwCncrrVA
— Mike Pence (@Mike_Pence) October 29, 2021
Heather Conley, a retired George W. Bush senior government official who now works for the Center for International Studies, said, “The honeymoon period is just gone.”
“Our friends are weighing in on whether the administration can deliver. They are unsure. They see the challenging domestic policy, as well as the intermittent, disorganized processes that influence their safety, and they’re not certain.”
Some friends believe the United States’ foreign aspirations are dwindling. There is a residual feeling America is going towards the more inward-looking destiny, according to Gérard Araud, a former French envoy to the United States.
They Thought Trump was Bad Because He was Tough – Biden’s Just Useless
“Everyone would be concerned if Trump ran again in 2024,” Araud added, referring to the likelihood Trump may run for president again during the next presidential election cycle.
“At the same time, there is a strong sense something fundamental is shifting in US foreign policy, that the US no longer wants to be the world’s police force.”
I just sent an urgent letter to President Biden warning against Democrats’ plans to include mass amnesty in their socialist spending bill.
Biden’s amnesty would only make the already unprecedented border crisis worse – putting American families at risk. pic.twitter.com/3dFV7QUhw2
— Kevin McCarthy (@GOPLeader) October 23, 2021
On Thursday, Biden will fly to Europe, where he might attend a meeting of the strong group of 20 nations in Rome before traveling to Glasgow, Scotland for the COP26 climate change conference.
It will be his second significant overseas trip as a leader. The first, in June, featured multiple European meetings. After Trump’s more detached style and repeated badgering of European politicians, Biden and his advisers were welcomed as they pounded the theme “America is back!”
The G-20 summit brings together the heads of state from the world’s wealthiest and powerful nations. It will address a variety of issues, including the epidemic and the global financial system.
While there, Biden is anticipated to spend some of his time talking energy costs and supply chain problems. Biden has made combating climate change a high priority for his government. He will speak about it at COP26, despite the fact hopes for substantial breakthroughs are low.
