Secretary of State Antony Blinken is signaling that he is checking out and has zero interest in serving under a possible Harris-Walz administration.
Blinken has been tasked with overseeing U.S. foreign policy for the last three years, a role that has become increasingly demanding amid global wars and rising geopolitical tensions. Blinken indicated on Thursday that he is looking forward to wrapping up his job — as Biden is set to leave office in January — and will not serve in a role alongside Harris.
“As to my own future, all I’m looking at right now is the balance of this administration and January,” Blinken said at a press conference on Thursday. “And I can tell you from having spent some time over the last week on a bit of a break with my kids, I will relish having a lot more time with them.”
The State Department declined to expand on Blinken’s comments, telling the Daily Caller News Foundation it didn’t “have anything to add.”
It is the first time Blinken has publicly acknowledged his future plans, amid increasing questions as to who Harris would choose for high-level cabinet positions if she wins the presidency. Blinken’s remarks on Thursday also signal that Harris’ foreign policy team would look different than Biden’s; though Harris has largely been in lockstep with Biden on foreign policy, she has indicated she would break with him on certain issues, such as the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Blinken has served in foreign policy and national security roles in multiple Democratic administrations prior to serving under Biden, but his role as secretary of state has been particularly demanding. Blinken has spent roughly half of his time over the last three years traveling abroad to regions across the globe.
It isn’t clear who would be in line for Blinken’s position. Jake Sullivan, Biden’s current national security adviser, hasn’t given any indication whether or not he’d be interested in staying in a possible Harris administration or serving in a cabinet role.
Blinken first came under heavy scrutiny for his role in the disastrous Afghanistan withdrawal in 2021, which resulted in the collapse of Afghanistan and the deaths of 13 U.S. servicemembers. The State Department was specifically tasked with helping Americans evacuate from Afghanistan, but an after-action report found that the Department was unprepared and hindered by confusion as to who was in charge.
Blinken has recently spent a considerable amount of time managing U.S. diplomacy in the Middle East and Europe amid the ongoing Russia-Ukraine and Israel-Hamas wars. His role also included managing U.S. relations with China, which went through a turbulent period during Biden’s tenure.
The State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
(Featured Image Media Credit: State Department photo by Chuck Kennedy/Public Domain)
Editor’s note: This article has been updated.
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