(RightWing.org) – Henry Kissinger has played a prominent role in American foreign policy and defense strategy for more than half a century. He served as Secretary of State from September 1973 to January 1977 and advised former presidents Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, and Ronald Reagan. Currently, he’s a member of the Defense Policy Board, a federal advisory panel providing independent advice to the Pentagon. However, he remains a controversial figure — so much so that a reporter recently cornered a White House official for attending Kissinger’s 100th birthday party.
On June 5, Vox senior foreign policy writer Jonathan Guyer staked out Kissinger’s birthday party at the New York Public Library to document the attendees of the closed event. The guests included a Who’s Who of statesmen, diplomats, billionaires, and defense and intelligence officials.
Key members of the last two Democratic administrations attended the gala, too, like Gen. David Petraeus, the disgraced former head of the CIA under former President Barack Obama, and President Joe Biden’s Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
Guyer posted a brief clip of himself asking Blinken why he would attend his predecessor’s birthday party. “What’s there to celebrate about… Kissinger,” he asked. As one might expect, Blinken didn’t provide an answer to his question.
Other noteworthy attendees included James Baker III, the secretary of state and White House chief of staff for former President George HW Bush. Biden’s CIA Director Bill Burns showed up alongside former New York mayor and failed 2020 Democratic hopeful Mike Bloomberg.
Kissinger remains a controversial figure to many for his involvement in prolonging and escalating the United States’ participation in the military conflict in Vietnam. Ironically, he received a Nobel Peace Prize in 1973 for ending that war, even though he played a role in illegally expanding the American troop presence into neighboring Cambodia and Laos.
Despite the controversy, Kissinger remains a popular figure on both sides of the political aisle, making attendance at his birthday party a show of respect for someone who’s served our country for over five decades.
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