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Yonkers native Antony "Tony" Blinken, age 58, a longtime confidant and aide of the new president, was approved by the Senate with a 78-22 bipartisan vote this week and will return to the White House following time spent as a top member of the Obama administration.
From 2009 to 2013, Blinken was the Deputy Assistant to the President and National Security Advisor to the Vice President, where he was tasked with helping to craft foreign policy in the Middle East and address the Iranian nuclear program.
Blinken hit the ground running, vowing to repair ties with global partners that may have been damaged during the previous president’s tenure.
“The world is watching us intently right now," he said during an address to state department employees on his first day on the job on Wednesday, Jan. 27. "They want to know if we can heal our nation.
“They want to see whether we will lead with the power of our example and if we will put a premium on diplomacy with our allies and partners to meet the great challenges of our time.”
During his address, Blinken said that challenges the administration face include the COVID-19 pandemic, threats to democracy, climate change, security risks, and the fight for racial justice.
“I know that the State Department I'm walking into today is not the same one I left four years ago," Blinken said this week. "A lot has changed. The world has changed. The Department has changed. The world is watching us intently right now. They want to know if we can heal our nation.”
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