Trying to “turn the page” from the Trump era, President Biden addressed world leaders, saying “America is back.” While most of the media approved of the speech, a few voices on the right called out the media for their selective memory.
Summary
President Joe Biden addressed the Munich Security Conference Friday via video conference, in an attempt repair what he called a “strained” relationship with Europe.
- Biden’s theme was “America is back” as a partner and global leader, over which European leaders swooned, though German Chancellor Angela Merkel noted there are still complications regarding China and Russia.
- Biden also reaffirmed America’s commitment to NATO, dubiously suggesting Trump’s demands that other NATO members meet their financial obligations left America’s pledge to the treaty organization in doubt.
- UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson echoed Biden’s remarks, saying it “is a fantastic thing” to have the United States “unreservedly back as the leader of the free world.”
- The New York Times celebrated the occasion, but also reported on “pushback” from other nations, highlighting French President Emmanuel Macron’s call for “strategic autonomy” from America.
- CNN’s coverage of Biden’s remarks made a point to suggest former President Trump was not tough on Russia (he was).
- Coverage by NBC News framed their story by saying Biden was restoring relationships that “eroded” under Trump.
- Fox News interviewed a former Trump official who offered a generally positive analysis of the speech, saying the Biden administration should “capitalize on a honeymoon period” to secure European agreement on certain policies.
- Before the speech, Wall Street Journal’s Walter Russell Mead wrote despite Biden’s campaign promises of global reengagement, not everyone in the world is paying attention or satisfied with the shifts in American foreign policy.
- While not addressing Biden’s speech, Townhall.com gave CNN’s Jake Tapper a flogging for his tweets about China’s treatment of Uighur Muslims, criticizing Tapper for failing to acknowledge the Trump administration’s hard stances on China while President Biden’s word-salad answer to a question about Chinese treatment of Uighurs excused the Chinese government’s actions as “different norms” culturally.
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© Dallas Gerber, 2021
