Biden says he’s leaving Trump ‘strong hand to play,’ defends his record on Afghanistan
President Biden delivered his final address from the State Department on American foreign policy and national security as his four-year term comes to an end. With President-elect Donald Trump set to take office once again, Biden highlighted his administration’s accomplishments and urged the incoming administration to continue the work that has been done.
During his speech, Biden did not mention Trump by name but referenced the previous and incoming administrations. He emphasized that he is leaving a “strong hand to play” and listed several major nations of geopolitical importance to U.S. national security. However, he also acknowledged the controversial decision to withdraw from Afghanistan, which resulted in the tragic deaths of 13 American service members and numerous Afghan civilians in an attack by ISIS-K at Abbey Gate.
Biden defended his decision to end the war in Afghanistan, stating that he saw no reason to keep thousands of servicemen in the country. He pointed to the successful assassination of Osama bin Laden during the Obama administration as evidence that large numbers of American forces were no longer necessary in Afghanistan. Despite facing criticism for the withdrawal, Biden assured that America’s alliances remained strong, and the country had the capabilities to strike Afghanistan and other threats when needed.
The president also urged the incoming administration to continue defending Ukraine and deterring Russian President Vladimir Putin. He emphasized the importance of investing in the defense industrial base to equip the U.S. to fight and win wars, ultimately deterring conflicts in the first place. Biden highlighted progress made in deterring China as a major adversary and warned against skepticism towards clean energy and climate change, calling it the “single greatest existential threat to humanity.”
As the Trump administration prepares to take office, Biden urged them to focus on developing Artificial Intelligence, countering adversarial powers like Iran, Russia, and China, and addressing threats from the Houthis in Yemen and North Korea. He emphasized the need for the U.S. to win the contest for clean energy and manufacturing, as China aims to dominate these critical areas. Biden’s speech served as a call to action for the incoming administration to continue the work done in foreign policy and national security during his term.
