In an op-ed published this week, former Obama official Brett Bruen wrote that President Biden’s “reckless riffs” and foreign policy gaffes are veering into dangerous territory.
The president bears the ‘lion share of the blame,’ according to the former Director of Global Engagement, for all too often sending the White House into crisis mode when he speaks on foreign policy, but he also blames his National Security staff for being woefully unprepared for the gaffes.
‘Biden’s careless comments are hurting his presidency and diplomacy,’ wrote an op-ed for USA Today. ‘He requires a reboot,’ says the narrator. ‘I used to cringe when Vice President Joe Biden took the podium,’ Bruen wrote.
As a staffer on the National Security Council, you never knew what he might say despite all the preparation that went into an event and his remarks.’
‘At times, his offhanded remarks could liven up what would otherwise be a fairly dull policy speech.’ ‘However, there were times, far too many times, when it could veer into dangerous territory,’ he added.
He wrote, ‘The reckless riffs have continued during his presidency, particularly when discussing diplomacy.’
‘How does such careless careening into crisis territory continue to occur?’ he wondered. ‘Biden bears the brunt of the blame for his hasty decision.’
The Biden National Security team, according to Bruen, should better prepare the president for “obvious questions” because “they are all too aware that he has this troublesome tendency to go off script.”
Bruen chastised Biden for admitting that after the US military leaves, Kabul would fall to the Taliban.
Biden told reporters at the White House on July 8, 2021 that the Afghan army was better equipped and had a larger number of soldiers than the Taliban. He dismissed the idea that a Kabul takeover would be akin to the fall of Saigon.
‘The idea that there’s a way to have gotten out without chaos ensuing, I don’t know how that happens,’ he said on Aug. 19.
Biden was also chastised by Bruen for appearing to ‘give Russian President Vladimir Putin a tacit green light to take at least some Ukrainian territory’ by declaring in March that Putin ‘cannot remain in power.’
The White House rushed to clean up the mess, and months later, Biden wrote in a New York Times op-ed that he would not try to depose Putin. ‘As much as I disagree with Mr. Putin and find his actions abhorrent, the US will not attempt to destabilize Moscow.’
Biden’s aides were also forced to backtrack after he stated “his clear commitment of American forces to the defense of Taiwan,” a “major departure from our long-standing policy,” according to Bruen.
Biden aides squirmed in their seats during a trip to Asia last month, according to people present, when he was asked if he would defend Taiwan if it was invaded by China.
Biden replied, ‘Yes.’ ‘We made a promise.’
In doing so, he went beyond official American foreign policy’strategic ambiguity,’ which helps arm Taiwan’s government but leaves open the question of how far Washington would go to protect Taiwan’s freedom.