President Biden’s final address to the United Nations? Well, brace yourselves because the man who promised to “restore America’s reputation” will give his grand exit speech while the world burns. Biden’s foreign policy has been a masterclass in what not to do, and now he’s trying to convince the world that his chaotic term has been one of success. Let’s take a trip down memory lane, shall we? This is the president who bungled the Afghanistan withdrawal, practically rolled out a red carpet for Russia to invade Ukraine, and now we’re watching the Middle East blow up while he still tries to play the peacemaker.
When Biden steps up to the U.N. podium this week, he’s going to crow about how he’s rebuilt alliances and “defended democracy” across the globe. But the rest of us have been watching a very different show. After four years, all we have are broken promises, shattered reputations, and a whole lot of global chaos. It’s like every year, he has another international disaster to explain away: Afghanistan in 2021, Ukraine in 2022, Chinese spy balloons in 2023, and now the Middle East is on fire in 2024.
Let’s not forget his great triumph—attempting to broker a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. That’s gone about as well as you’d expect from this administration. Hamas attacks, Israel retaliates, and Biden plays the fiddle while the region burns. Now that Hezbollah is stepping into the fray, Biden’s “peace talks” are looking more like a sideshow. But don’t worry, according to the media, he’s working “tirelessly” to resolve all this. Sure, just like he worked tirelessly to keep China from flying balloons over the country.
One administration official claimed that Biden’s U.N. address will highlight his leadership in defending Ukraine, managing U.S.-China relations, and handling conflicts in places like Gaza and Sudan. Yeah, right. What leadership? He barely managed to hold Russia at bay in Ukraine, and that’s only because Congress grudgingly handed over more money. Meanwhile, China continues to flex its muscles in the Indo-Pacific, and Sudan’s crisis remains largely ignored. The administration loves to talk about how hard they’ve worked, but where are the results?
Now, of course, Biden’s critics have a different view—one rooted in reality. Richard Goldberg, from the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, laid it out clearly: Biden’s presidency has been a disaster for American foreign policy. Goldberg didn’t mince words when he called Biden’s foreign strategy a case study in failure, blaming the Afghanistan debacle and the appeasement approach toward Russia for the invasion of Ukraine. Oh, and Biden’s meddling in Israel’s war through ceasefire negotiations? Let’s just say he hasn’t exactly been helping.
Sure, Biden’s team is spinning his foreign policy as some grand multilateral success story. They even managed to get the AUKUS alliance up and running with Australia and the UK, aimed at countering China’s influence. But if you think a single partnership in the Pacific is enough to balance out the mess he’s made everywhere else, you’re sorely mistaken.
One official had the nerve to say that Biden’s multilateral approach, where countries “work together,” is a key legacy of his foreign policy. Well, this “vision” has certainly left America working with other nations, but not in the way you’d hope. We’re working to clean up Biden’s mistakes, not leading with strength. His multilateralism has been more of a concession to global adversaries than anything resembling leadership.
And let’s not overlook the Iran nuclear deal. Remember when Biden promised to revive that? Yeah, didn’t happen. Instead, we’re watching chaos in the Middle East, where Biden’s policy decisions have only made things worse. Even the former Pentagon staffers admit that while not all global chaos can be pinned on Biden, his policies have certainly helped stir the pot.
Gabriel Scheinmann, from the Alexander Hamilton Society, didn’t hold back when he pointed out that Biden’s decades in office haven’t left him with much to show. Thirty-six years in the Senate, eight years as Vice President, and four years as President, and yet here we are—an unstable world, with little peace in sight. So, when Biden gets up there and acts like his U.N. speech is a valedictory moment, let’s all remember that it’s more of a farewell tour for failed foreign policy.
As for what’s next, Biden may be eyeing his exit, but foreign leaders aren’t wasting time. They’re already focusing on the next administration—whether that’s Trump returning to clean up this mess or Vice President Kamala Harris taking the reins. Even Ukrainian President Zelensky is hedging his bets, presenting his “victory plan” to Biden, Harris, and maybe Trump. Because let’s face it, everyone knows the clock is ticking on Biden’s time in office, and no one’s banking on him solving any more world crises.
In the end, Biden’s going to deliver his U.N. speech, make some more promises, and claim a few victories. But the rest of the world isn’t buying it, and neither should we.
