Biden Issues Statement on Kissinger’s Death: ‘We Often Disagreed’

AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File

President Joe Biden released a brief statement on Thursday to acknowledge the death of Henry Kissinger, who died on Wednesday at age 100.

The statement is unusual in its brevity, given Kissinger’s influence on foreign policy as national security adviser, secretary of state, and a consultant about geopolitics. On the other hand, that influence manifested in ugly ways – particularly in Southeast Asia where Kissinger oversaw massive bombing campaigns in Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos, killing untold numbers of people. He also helped orchestrate the overthrow of a democratically elected government in Chile and backed brutal dictatorships abroad.

In his statement, Biden refers to Kissinger’s “fierce intellect,” but that is the extent of his praise:

I’ll never forget the first time I met Dr. Kissinger. I was a young Senator, and he was Secretary of State—giving a briefing on the state of the world. Throughout our careers, we often disagreed. And often strongly. But from that first briefing — his fierce intellect and profound strategic focus was evident. Long after retiring from government, he continued to offer his views and ideas to the most important policy discussion across multiple generations. Jill and I send our condolences to his wife Nancy, his children Elizabeth and David, his grandchildren, and all those who loved him.

Reactions to Kissinger’s death on the left have ranged from indifference to joy.