Earlier this week, President Joe Biden met with the Joint Chiefs of Staff to discuss increasing global unrest. As reporters shouted questions, Biden refused to engage. That’s because he knows he has a lot to answer for. His incompetence has given the green light to our enemies around the world, and the full consequences remain to be seen.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has sparked a war with global implications. Reports and images coming from the war-torn country show brutal executions, dismemberment, and assault against Ukrainian civilians. Millions have been displaced. Food shortages are looming. Ironically, it was Biden who vowed to keep Putin in check. Instead, Biden spent months emboldening him.
He removed sanctions on the Nord Stream 2 pipeline
, which gave Russia a huge geopolitical win. His administration renewed the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty between Russia and the United States — a strategic military win for Putin that required no concessions. And while tensions mounted on the Ukrainian border, Biden sought to appease Putin with “any accommodation” in a desperate attempt to keep him from invading.
In China, horrifying accounts of the country’s latest “total” COVID lockdown have shocked the world. Video appears to show residents screaming in desperation from their high-rise apartment buildings. Fears of starvation have sparked riots at grocery stores. Babies and children are being separated from parents who test positive. Government drones bark orders at citizens, telling them to follow protocol and “control your soul’s desire for freedom.” Meanwhile, North Korea is ramping up its missile test launches. Clearly, these nations feel emboldened by Biden’s feckless leadership.
And why wouldn’t they? Biden’s botched withdrawal from Afghanistan was an international embarrassment that signaled weakness to the world. Our troops were forced to withdraw in chaos, abandoning billions of dollars in taxpayer-funded equipment: helicopters, Humvees, MRAPs, drones, and weapons. We broke our promise to stay until every American was out of the country, and we turned our back on our allies. The Taliban now enjoy their strongest position since 2001. China has taken advantage of the regime change, working to strengthen ties with terrorist leaders.
Closer to home, the crisis on the southern border is out of control. In March, 221,303 illegal immigrants were apprehended at the U.S.-Mexico border, and nearly 2.5 million illegal immigrants have been caught crossing since Biden took office. In addition to the massive influx of migrants, border agents seized 1,024 pounds of deadly fentanyl and 9,583 pounds of methamphetamine at the southern border in March alone. Violence is on the rise, too — border agents have arrested human smugglers, drug traffickers, gang members, and even 42 individuals on the terrorism watch list.
Biden’s solution to these crises has been to stand by his disastrous policies. Instead of unleashing American energy, Biden sought to
buy oil from countries such as Iran and Venezuela
— hardly reliable energy partners. Rather than keep Iran in check, the Biden administration seems determined to revive the Iran Nuclear Deal, an irresponsible agreement that would undoubtedly fuel terrorism and threaten our national security. And instead of securing the border, Biden has decided to end Title 42, the last remnant of President Donald Trump’s border policy, in May. The Border Patrol is already bracing, in case he succeeds, for Biden’s border crisis to get even worse.
Biden promised that “America is back.” Today, the people are asking, “Back to what?” Our enemies feel emboldened. Our allies are nervous. The world is on edge. This is what “America last” foreign policy looks like. Our nation is in desperate need of real leadership. This November, Republicans will deliver.
Ronna McDaniel is the chairwoman of the Republican National Committee.
