Politico | Antony Blinken confirmed as Joe Biden’s secretary of state
- As the top US diplomat, the president’s long-time confidant faces tests on multiple fronts, including a rising China and a deadly pandemic
- Blinken has pledged ‘humility and confidence’ as he navigates a world in which Washington is not the only power centre
This story is published in a content partnership with POLITICO. It was originally reported by Nahal Toosi on politico.com on January 26, 2021.
Antony Blinken was confirmed as US secretary of state on Tuesday, taking the reins of US foreign policy amid major global challenges and following years of turmoil at the State Department.
Blinken won bipartisan approval in the Senate, with a vote of 78-22. He is expected to begin work almost immediately, including by addressing the workforce at Foggy Bottom.
Blinken, a long-time aide to President Joe Biden, is a strong proponent of turning to international alliances to further US interests. His resume includes having served as both deputy national security adviser and deputy secretary of State during the Obama administration.
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Blinken becomes the chief US diplomat as the US faces tests on multiple fronts, including: a pandemic that has killed 2.1 million people worldwide and ravaged economies; a rising and increasingly aggressive China; a Middle East riven by tensions between Iran and its neighbours; and an increasing exhaustion among Americans with the war in Afghanistan.