US leaders react to death of Henry Kissinger

Secretary of State Antony Blinken mentioned throughout a gathering with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday that Kissinger “actually set the usual for everybody who adopted on this job.”

“I used to be very privileged to get his counsel many instances, together with as not too long ago as a few month in the past. He was terribly beneficiant together with his knowledge, together with his recommendation,” Blinken mentioned. “Few folks have been higher college students of historical past — even fewer folks did extra to form historical past — than Henry Kissinger.”

In a press release later Thursday, Blinken added that “Henry made numerous history-bending choices. To function America’s chief diplomat immediately is to maneuver by means of a world that bears Henry’s lasting imprint — from the relationships he cast, to the instruments he pioneered, to the structure he constructed.”

As of Thursday afternoon, President Joe Biden had not issued a press release about Kissinger’s dying. Nationwide Safety Council spokesperson John Kirby mentioned throughout a press briefing Thursday that he “wouldn’t learn into” the shortage of a press release.

Senate Minority Chief Mitch McConnell known as Kissinger “a titan amongst America’s most consequential statesmen.”

“His concepts, his diplomatic ability, and his sheer power of will in service to our nation modified the course of historical past,” McConnell mentioned on X.

Home Speaker Mike Johnson known as Kissinger’s contributions to U.S. international coverage “immeasurable.”

“Kissinger was a statesman who devoted his life in service to america, and must be remembered for his efforts to make sure world peace and freedom overseas,” Johnson wrote on X.

Republican presidential candidates weighed in on Kissinger’s dying, too.

Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie known as him a “good pal & mentor” who “was a superb voice for the indispensable position America should play on the earth.” Former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson mentioned that whereas Kissinger’s “international coverage was not good,” it was “pragmatic and must be studied immediately.”