Lulu Garcia Navarro

On Thursday, I sat down with Blinken at the State Department for a wide-ranging conversation about the world he's leaving behind, which, despite it all, he argues, is better than the one he inherited. Here's my conversation with Secretary of State Antony Blinken. Secretary Blinken, four years ago, you inherited the world from President Trump. And now you're about to hand it back to him.

On Thursday, I sat down with Blinken at the State Department for a wide-ranging conversation about the world he's leaving behind, which, despite it all, he argues, is better than the one he inherited. Here's my conversation with Secretary of State Antony Blinken. Secretary Blinken, four years ago, you inherited the world from President Trump. And now you're about to hand it back to him.

Your tenure has been an unprecedented interregnum, if you will. Have you thought about what a strange position that is to be in?

Your tenure has been an unprecedented interregnum, if you will. Have you thought about what a strange position that is to be in?

Thinking back to when you first came into office, you know, President Biden painted a portrait of a world that was seeing a sort of battle between democracy and autocracy, a phrase that was repeatedly used. Yet at home, voters have been skeptical of that fight. Many voters bought into Trump's vision of an America that should be less involved in the world.

Thinking back to when you first came into office, you know, President Biden painted a portrait of a world that was seeing a sort of battle between democracy and autocracy, a phrase that was repeatedly used. Yet at home, voters have been skeptical of that fight. Many voters bought into Trump's vision of an America that should be less involved in the world.

Why don't you think that the Biden administration and you in particular were able to convince voters of the benefit of what you have been endeavoring to do these past few years?

Why don't you think that the Biden administration and you in particular were able to convince voters of the benefit of what you have been endeavoring to do these past few years?

So you don't believe that the election was a repudiation of the vision of President Biden and your vision in particular? Because, you know, obviously, President-elect Trump has a very different idea of how to engage in the world.

So you don't believe that the election was a repudiation of the vision of President Biden and your vision in particular? Because, you know, obviously, President-elect Trump has a very different idea of how to engage in the world.

I'm not asking you to do politics. I'm just asking for a little reflection on this is something you've given your life to. Obviously, the results were a disappointment. And so I wonder if that doesn't seek you to pause and reflect that perhaps that animating vision that you have –

I'm not asking you to do politics. I'm just asking for a little reflection on this is something you've given your life to. Obviously, the results were a disappointment. And so I wonder if that doesn't seek you to pause and reflect that perhaps that animating vision that you have –

had might not have been what Americans wanted I mean do you think there's just a changing sense in this country of our place in the world and what we owe our allies so

had might not have been what Americans wanted I mean do you think there's just a changing sense in this country of our place in the world and what we owe our allies so

I want to pick up on something that you said there, which is discussing Afghanistan, because this takes us back, I think, to the beginning of your tenure. You know, I think it is reasonable to argue that American skepticism of the Biden administration's handling on foreign policy is really began with the catastrophic way we got out of Afghanistan.

I want to pick up on something that you said there, which is discussing Afghanistan, because this takes us back, I think, to the beginning of your tenure. You know, I think it is reasonable to argue that American skepticism of the Biden administration's handling on foreign policy is really began with the catastrophic way we got out of Afghanistan.

There was consensus that we should absolutely end that war, but the manner in which it was done was very detrimental. You know, when President Biden first took office, there was this promise that you and everyone else that was being brought on board were the adults in the room that were going to be ending the chaos of the Trump administration.

There was consensus that we should absolutely end that war, but the manner in which it was done was very detrimental. You know, when President Biden first took office, there was this promise that you and everyone else that was being brought on board were the adults in the room that were going to be ending the chaos of the Trump administration.

How did that early failure in Afghanistan really change the sense? Do you think that President Biden really had this under control that you had it under control? Did it damage America's credibility?

How did that early failure in Afghanistan really change the sense? Do you think that President Biden really had this under control that you had it under control? Did it damage America's credibility?