Presidents are primarily vested with rights and privileges aimed at aiding advances toward alliances with other countries. Therefore, foreign policy is one of the most important aspects of the job of the President. However, some speculate as to whether or not a President is performing his role to the best of his ability. As it pertains to President Biden’s role as the facilitator of foreign relations, nearly nine-in-ten Democrats (88%) express confidence in Biden’s ability to handle foreign affairs, compared with only 27% of Republicans. The sentiments expressed by each side of the aisle are shared within their corresponding party leadership in government. As for Republican politicians, Ted Cruz (R-TX) stated that “Biden’s foreign policy has been a catastrophe for the national security of the United States and the safety and prosperity of Americans.” On the other hand, Democratic representative Nancy Pelosi believes that Biden’s foreign policy “will revitalize our foreign policy leadership: refreshing our alliances, re-energizing our commitment to our values and interests, rebuilding our institutions and reevaluating and strengthening the tools in our diplomatic arsenal.”
A partisan divide is seen in support for an active U.S. global role. A survey by Pew Research Center in 2017 found a majority of Democrats and Democratic leaners (56%) say it’s best for the future of the country to be active in world affairs compared with 39% of Republicans and Republican leaners who say it’s best for the country to be active in world affairs.
When it comes to dealing with U.S. allies in global affairs, a majority of Democrats and Democratic leaners (74%) say that the U.S. should take allies’ interests into account while making foreign policy decisions compared with 41% of Republicans.