Henry Kissinger, the former U.S. secretary of state during the Nixon and Ford administrations who was said to be one of the most influential and controversial foreign policy framers in the postwar United States, has died. He was 100.
The news was confirmed by Kissinger’s consulting company on Wednesday night.
Kissinger remained active in politics in the decades since his time in office and had taken on a respected elder role for some Republicans and Democrats. He met with Alaska’s then-Gov. Sarah Palin in 2008, and Mitt Romney reportedly spoke by phone with Kissinger during the 2012 campaign. Kissinger met with Donald Trump shortly after Trump won the 2016 presidential election and the two later met in the White House in 2017.
Hillary Clinton, who ran against Trump in 2016, called Kissinger “a friend” and said she “relied on his counsel” when she was secretary of state from 2009 to 2013.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said in a statement on X, formerly Twitter, “Henry Kissinger was a titan among America’s most consequential statesmen. His ideas, his diplomatic skill, and his sheer force of will in service to our country changed the course of history. My thoughts and prayers are with the Kissinger family.”
House Speaker Mike Johnson called Henry Kissinger “one of the most consequential figures of the 20th century.” adding that his contributions to foreign policy and diplomacy are “immeasurable.”
Ambassador to the U.S. Xie Feng recognized Kissinger for changing the arc of U.S.-China relations by opening up China to the world and helping to usher in an era of growth and prosperity for China.
“Deeply shocked and saddened to learn of Dr. Kissinger’s passing at 100. My deepest condolences go to Nancy and her family. It is a tremendous loss for both our countries and the world,” he wrote on X. “History will remember what the centenarian had contributed to China-U.S. relations, and he will always remain alive in the hearts of the Chinese people as a most valued old friend.”
