Former Obama administration National Security Advisor Susan Rice called for the end of a new round of speculation that 2016 Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton could become the next ambassador to the United Nations, dismissing the idea as “ridiculous” and insulting to Clinton.
“This is ridiculous and an insult to [Hillary Clinton]. Stop. Please,” tweeted Rice, who also served as the Obama administration’s first ambassador to the United Nations.
This is ridiculous and an insult to @HillaryClinton. Stop. Please. https://t.co/i1J0IwE0ot
— Susan Rice (@AmbassadorRice) November 13, 2020
Within the president’s administration, the U.N. ambassador reports to the secretary of state, meaning, if Clinton were appointed to the position, it would be considered a demotion from her previous role as the Obama administration’s secretary of state.
According to The Washington Post, however, Clinton’s name has been floated in private discussions concerning the future of the U.N. ambassador position.
The Post reports:
One intriguing name being discussed privately is former Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton as the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, according to the person familiar with the chatter who spoke on the condition of anonymity. The thinking behind the move was that it would be a way for Biden to highlight the importance of that position in his administration, and that placing her there would raise the prestige of the U.N. itself at a time when global cooperation, and the U.S. role on the world stage, has ebbed.
A U.N. position wouldn’t be without precedent for a former Democratic presidential nominee. Back in 2009, former President Bill Clinton was appointed by the United Nations to serve as the special envoy to Haiti. Furthermore, 2004 Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry served as a secretary of state in the Obama administration, having succeeded Hillary Clinton, who was offered the position after she lost the 2008 Democratic nomination to Barack Obama.
Back in August, Clinton suggested that she would be willing to serve in a Democratic administration if she were asked to do so.
“I’m ready to help in any way I can because I think this will be a moment where every American — I don’t care what party you are, I don’t care what age, race, gender, I don’t care — every American should want to fix our country,” said Clinton, reported People Magazine. “So if you’re asked to serve, you should certainly consider that.”
But according to The New York Times, it doesn’t appear that Hillary Clinton would be in the running to take up her old position as secretary of state in a Biden administration. Rice, however, is reportedly under consideration for the position, having previously also served as an assistant secretary of state in the Bill Clinton administration.
The other rumored contenders for secretary of state include Delaware Senator Chris Coons (D-DE) and William J. Burns, a former deputy secretary of state in the Obama administration who also served as ambassador to Russia from 2005 to 2008.