He picked a song so simple that even he couldn't screw it up. But his guitar playing, which can be charitably described as "lifelong beginner", is the least of the problem.
He didn't just happen upon that bar and get pulled on stage to play along with the band because he is so awesome. A band with three right-handed guitar players don't keep a left-handed guitar plugged in on stage "just in case Secretary Blinken is in town."
He asked to play, he probably brought his guitar with him on the diplomatic flight, he pushed his staff and the Ukraine foreign ministry to set up the scene for him, it accomplished nothing diplomatically... or musically, and all just to get some cheap applause to stroke his ego.
“He asked to play, he probably brought his guitar with him on the diplomatic flight, he pushed his staff and the Ukraine foreign ministry to set up the scene for him,”
Exactly right, and he’s an amateur, and that band was lousy. No ‘feel’ whatsoever and the tempo was too slow. That song dies unless it’s driven hard.