Antony Blinken facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Antony Blinken
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Official portrait, 2021
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| 71st United States Secretary of State | |
| Assumed office January 26, 2021 |
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| President | Joe Biden |
| Deputy | Wendy Sherman Victoria Nuland (acting) Kurt M. Campbell |
| Preceded by | Mike Pompeo |
| 18th United States Deputy Secretary of State | |
| In office January 9, 2015 – January 20, 2017 |
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| President | Barack Obama |
| Preceded by | William J. Burns |
| Succeeded by | John Sullivan |
| 26th United States Deputy National Security Advisor | |
| In office January 20, 2013 – January 9, 2015 |
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| President | Barack Obama |
| Leader | Susan Rice |
| Preceded by | Denis McDonough |
| Succeeded by | Avril Haines |
| National Security Advisor to the Vice President of the United States | |
| In office January 20, 2009 – January 20, 2013 |
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| Vice President | Joe Biden |
| Preceded by | John P. Hannah |
| Succeeded by | Jake Sullivan |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Antony John Blinken
April 16, 1962 Yonkers, New York, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse |
Evan Ryan
(m. 2002) |
| Children | 2 |
| Parent |
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| Education | |
Antony John Blinken (born April 16, 1962) is an American lawyer and diplomat currently serving as the 71st United States secretary of state. He previously served as deputy national security advisor from 2013 to 2015 and deputy secretary of state from 2015 to 2017 under President Barack Obama. Blinken was previously national security advisor to then-Vice President Joe Biden from 2009 to 2013.
After leaving government service, Blinken moved into the private sector, co-founding WestExec Advisors, a consulting firm. Blinken returned to government first as a foreign policy advisor for Biden's 2020 presidential campaign, then as Biden's pick for secretary of state, a position the Senate confirmed him for on January 26, 2021.
Early life and education
Blinken was born on April 16, 1962, in Yonkers, New York, to Jewish parents, Judith (Frehm) and Donald M. Blinken, who later served as the U.S. ambassador to Hungary.
Blinken attended Dalton School in New York City until 1971. He then moved to Paris with his mother Judith and Samuel Pisar, whom she married following her divorce from Blinken.
Blinken attended Harvard University from 1980 to 1984, where he majored in social studies. After graduating from Harvard, Blinken worked as an intern for The New Republic for about a year. He earned a J.D. from Columbia Law School in 1988 and practiced law in New York City and Paris.
Career
During the Clinton administration, Blinken served in the State Department and in senior positions on the National Security Council from 1994 to 2001. He was a senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies from 2001 to 2002.
From 2009 to 2013, Blinken served as deputy assistant to the president and national security advisor to the vice president. During his tenure in the Obama administration, he helped craft U.S. policy on Afghanistan, Pakistan, and the nuclear program of Iran.
Secretary of state
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Blinken was a foreign policy advisor for Biden's 2020 presidential campaign. On November 22, 2020, Bloomberg News reported that Biden had selected Blinken as his nominee for secretary of state.
Blinken's confirmation hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee began on January 19, 2021. His nomination was confirmed by the committee on January 25 with a vote of 15–3. On January 26, Blinken was confirmed in the full Senate by a vote of 78–22. Blinken took the oath of office of the secretary of state later that day. In doing so, he became the third former deputy secretary of state to serve as the Secretary of State, after Lawrence Eagleburger and Warren Christopher in 1992 and 1993, respectively.
Personal life
Blinken is Jewish. In 2002, Blinken and Evan Ryan were married in an interfaith ceremony officiated by a rabbi and a priest at Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Washington, D.C. They have two children. Blinken is fluent in French. He plays the guitar and has three songs available on Spotify by the alias Ablinken (pronounced "Abe Lincoln").
Images for kids
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Blinken and Biden on a trip to Kosovo, May 22, 2009
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Blinken and Israeli President Isaac Herzog in Tel Aviv after Hamas attacked Israel, October 12, 2023
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Blinken in the White House Situation Room (back of the room, blue shirt, leaning)
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See also
In Spanish: Antony Blinken para niños
