Trump blames Biden for foreign policy 'mess,' border failures

ISTANBUL

US President Donald Trump on Friday accused his predecessor Joe Biden of creating a “mess” in foreign policy and border security.

Trump, on social media, criticized Biden’s handling of Russia, Afghanistan, and immigration, claiming his own presidency would have prevented these crises.

“Crooked Joe Biden got us into a real ‘mess’ with Russia (and EVERYTHING ELSE!), but I’m going to get us out,” Trump wrote.

He asserted that the war in Ukraine and Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023 attack on Israel – followed by Israel's genocidal war against Palestinians – would not have occurred under his leadership.

Trump also slammed Biden’s Afghanistan withdrawal as “the most embarrassing day in the history” of the US, suggesting it would have been a “moment of glory” under his administration.

The Trump administration, during its first term in 2017-2021, negotiated the 2021 withdrawal in February 2020. Some critics said Trump did not do enough to prepare for the withdrawal.

He also blamed Biden for border insecurity, claiming the US would have had an "impenetrable Border" if he was in charge.

Finally, he targeted the former president's economic policy, accusing him of "Record Setting, Country Destroying Inflation." Most economists blame the worldwide surge in inflation on economic distortions due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and credit Biden for bringing inflation down to almost pre-pandemic levels by the end of his term.

Trump called for accountability for those responsible for this "mess," repeating his debunked claim that the 2020 election, which he lost to Biden, was "rigged."

Foreign policy analysts have given mixed reviews to Trump’s foreign policy since taking office on Jan. 20, noting his alienating several countries with threats of tariffs and territorial takeovers, as well as his widely criticized plan to turn Gaza into a resort, expelling its Palestinian residents.

His push to end the Russia-Ukraine war, however, has drawn some praise, with many saying the three-year war should have ended long ago.