After Three Decades In Government, What Will Hillary Clinton Do Next? [Opinion]
Despite being the most prepared presidential candidate in history, Hillary Clinton wasn’t prepared to lose. After spending three decades working towards the top job, the presidency was Hillary Clinton’s for the taking and she envisaged no scenario where it wasn’t. However, Donald Trump’s surprise victory in last week’s presidential election saw Hillary Clinton’s whole world come crashing down around her. So, after three decades in government, what will Hillary Clinton do next?
Return to politics?
As President Obama said, there has been no candidate in history with more experience than Hillary Clinton. This is a woman who has spent the best part of her adult life in the public eye, with more political experience than most occupants of the White House, including her husband Bill Clinton. With that in mind, a life outside of politics seems almost inconceivable for Hillary Clinton, so could the former first lady, senator, and secretary of state one day make a return to politics?
In short, it seems unlikely. After coming so close to the presidency, every job in Washington is undeniably beneath Hillary Clinton. What’s more, it’s safe to assume that President-Elect Donald Trump won’t be offering Hillary Clinton a position in his cabinet anytime soon and a former secretary of state and presidential candidate returning to the senate would be unprecedented.
Despite her loss, @HillaryClinton now leads @realDonaldTrump by over a million in the popular vote https://t.co/cJubHigmxd | Getty pic.twitter.com/oEcggCDpYk
— POLITICO (@politico) November 16, 2016
That being said, as their elected leader, Hillary Clinton is still and will remain an important figure within the Democratic party. According to Romper, just days after her shocking defeat to Donald Trump, Clinton joined President Obama and other Democratic leaders to discuss the future of the party. What’s more, Clinton made calls to House Democrats on Monday, during which she was reported as saying “No one is sorrier than me. Heartbreaks don’t heal overnight, and this one won’t.”
The Democratic party still needs a leader and Hillary Clinton doesn’t appear to be stepping away from the position anytime soon.
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The Clinton Foundation
During her concession speech, Hillary Clinton said that although she won’t be in the White House, her fight for good will continue. Whilst it seems likely that Clinton will step away from politics for good, that doesn’t necessarily mean she’ll step out of the public eye. In fact, Clinton is likely to do that by returning to the Clinton Foundation – the nonprofit founded by Hillary Clinton and her husband, former President Bill Clinton in 1997. Clinton previously stepped away from the foundation ahead of her presidential run.
That being said, Clinton will face an uphill climb in changing the image of the foundation. Throughout his presidential run, Donald Trump painted the foundation has a hotbed of corruption and according to CNN, his presidency could give the FBI the ability to further investigate the Clinton Foundation.
Scripture tells us: Let us not grow weary in doing good, for in due season, we shall reap, if we do not lose heart. pic.twitter.com/snXfdLgZq8
— Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) November 9, 2016
When Clinton was previously involved with the foundation between 2013 and 2015, she gave a number of paid speeches in order to raise money for the foundation. With that in mind, if Clinton chooses to re-join the organization, she’ll likely remain a public figure through her work. However, it’s also worth considering that Hillary might choose to take a less active role in the day to day running of the organization, much like her husband and the foundation’s founder, Bill Clinton.
For now, Hillary Clinton is likely to take a break from public life. However, this definitely isn’t the last we’ll see of Hillary Rodham Clinton.
[Featured Image by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images]
