Biden remembers Kissinger’s ‘fierce intellect’ despite strong disagreements

President Biden on Thursday offered his condolences to the family of Henry Kissinger, who died a day earlier at 100, while acknowledging his policy disagreements with the former secretary of state.

“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,” Biden said in a statement. “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,” Biden added. “Jill and I send our condolences to his wife Nancy, his children Elizabeth and David, his grandchildren, and all those who loved him.”

Biden’s statement came almost 24 hours after Kissinger, a polarizing diplomat who served as secretary of state and national security adviser to then-President Richard Nixon. He also served as secretary of state during the Ford administration.

White House national security spokesperson John Kirby earlier Thursday told reporters not to read into the delay in Biden’s statement, and he similarly called Kissinger’s death a “huge loss.”

“This was a man who, whether you agreed with him or not, whether you held the same views of him or not, he served in World War II, served his country bravely in uniform and for decades afterward, which I think we can all be grateful for and appreciate,” Kirby said.

Kissinger shaped U.S. foreign policy for decades through his tenure as secretary of State. He helped open relations between the United States and China, was a key player during the Cold War with the Soviet Union and oversaw the U.S. withdrawal from Vietnam.

But his record has been subject to criticism, particularly his role in the American bombing and invasion of Cambodia in 1970 as part of an effort to cut off supply lines to South Vietnam. Critics have also cited his support of repressive regimes in Latin America.

Biden’s statement was relatively short compared to those issued by Republicans, most of whom widely praised Kissinger and his legacy.

“Henry Kissinger’s contributions to U.S. foreign policy and global diplomacy are immeasurable,” Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) said in a statement. 

“Kissinger was a statesman who devoted his life in service to the United States, and should be remembered for his efforts to ensure global peace and freedom abroad,” he added. “We send our respect and prayers to the Kissinger family as they lay to rest a giant of a man.”