In the last days of the Biden presidency, with the media focused on Senate hearings for Donald Trump’s second-term cabinet, now is a good time to recall just how historically inept Joe Biden’s cabinet members have been. Secretary of the Treasury Janet “the inflation is only transitory” Yellen, Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro “the border is secure” Mayorkas, Secretary of Transportation Pete “what me worry?” Buttigieg, and Secretary of Defense Lloyd “missing in action” Austin are among the standouts in a crowded field. A piece in National Review named Miguel Cardona “the worst secretary in the 45-year history of the U.S. Department of Education.” Cardona is so “unburdened by what has been” that he once quoted Ronald Reagan’s famous quip, “I’m from the government, and I’m here to help,” as an affirmation of big-government efficiency, unaware that Reagan called these “the nine most terrifying words in the English language.”
But surely the worst of Biden’s picks was Antony Blinken as secretary of state. His feckless foreign policy initiatives have diminished respect for, and fear of, the U.S. throughout the world. His peace-processing has brought no peace, and his diplomacy has led nowhere. Blinken’s lone achievement came in 2023 when he launched something called the Global Music Diplomacy Initiative, creating yet another opportunity for him to play guitar and sing in public. This “guitar diplomacy,” as the media term it, is not always appreciated, though. When he showed up at a bar in Ukraine last May and played Neil Young’s “Rockin’ in the Free World,” many found both the musical and diplomatic performances tone-deaf. As New York magazine put it, “Antony Blinken Sucks at the Guitar and Should Stop Playing.” He’s bad at diplomacy too, and, fortunately, he’ll soon stop doing that.
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