Hillary Clinton

==Secretary of State (2009–2013)==
{{Main|Hillary Clinton's tenure as Secretary of State}}
{{See also|Foreign policy of the Barack Obama administration|List of international trips made by Hillary Clinton as United States Secretary of State}}

[[File:Hillary Clinton official Secretary of State portrait crop.jpg|thumb|left|alt=Hillary Clinton dressed in a black suit seen in her official secretary of state portrait in 2009|Official secretary of state portrait, 2009]]

===Nomination and confirmation===
In mid-November 2008, President-elect Obama and Clinton discussed the possibility of her serving as [[U.S. Secretary of State|secretary of state]] in his administration.{{sfn|Allen|Parnes|2014|pp=48–52}} She was initially quite reluctant, but on November 20 she told Obama she would accept the position.<ref name="nytm-rock">{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/01/magazine/hillary-clintons-last-tour-as-a-rock-star-diplomat.html |title=Last Tour of the Rock-Star Diplomat |author=Myers, Steven Lee |magazine=[[The New York Times Magazine]] |date=July 1, 2012 |pages=18–23, 49}}</ref>{{sfn|Allen|Parnes|2014|pp=58–60}} On December 1, President-elect Obama formally announced that Clinton would be his nominee for secretary of state.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/deadlineusa/2008/dec/01/obama-clinton-secretary-of-state |title=As it happened: Obama nominates Hillary Clinton for secretary of state |work=[[The Guardian]] |date=December 1, 2008 |first=Elana |last=Schor}}</ref><ref name="sky120108">{{Cite news |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120927114952/http://news.sky.com/story/651982/obama-confirms-hillary-in-top-job |archive-date=September 27, 2012 |url=http://news.sky.com/story/651982/obama-confirms-hillary-in-top-job |title=Obama Confirms Hillary in Top Job |publisher=[[Sky News]] |date=December 1, 2008}}</ref> Clinton said she did not want to leave the Senate, but that the new position represented a "difficult and exciting adventure".<ref name="sky120108"/> As part of the nomination and to relieve concerns of conflict of interest, Bill Clinton agreed to accept several conditions and restrictions regarding his ongoing activities and fundraising efforts for the [[Clinton Foundation|William J. Clinton Foundation]] and the [[Clinton Global Initiative]].{{sfn|Allen|Parnes|2014|p=81}}

The appointment required a [[Saxbe fix]], passed and signed into law in December 2008.<ref>{{Cite news |url=http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/12/19/bush-approves-bill-reducing-secretary-of-states-pay/ |title=Bush Approves Bill Reducing Secretary of State's Pay |author=Falcone, Michael |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=December 19, 2008}}</ref> Confirmation hearings before the [[United States Senate Committee on Foreign Relations|Senate Foreign Relations Committee]] began on January 13, 2009, a week before the Obama inauguration; two days later, the committee voted 16–1 to approve Clinton.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.nbcnews.com/id/28624112/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140409043257/http://www.nbcnews.com/id/28624112/ |archive-date=April 9, 2014 |title=Senate panel backs Clinton as secretary of state |agency=Associated Press |work=[[NBC News]] |date=January 15, 2009}}</ref> By this time, her public approval rating had reached 65&nbsp;percent, the highest point since the Lewinsky scandal.<ref>{{Cite news |url=http://www.gallup.com/poll/113740/Senate-Hearings-Begin-Hillary-Clintons-Image-Soars.aspx |title=As Senate Hearings Begin, Hillary Clinton's Image Soars |author=Jones, Jeffrey M. |publisher=[[Gallup Organization]] |date=January 13, 2009}}</ref> On January 21, 2009, Clinton was confirmed in the full Senate by a vote of 94–2.<ref name="kate phillips">{{Cite news |url=http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/01/21/senate-debates-clinton-confirmation/ |title=Senate Confirms Clinton as Secretary of State |last=Phillips |first=Kate |date=January 21, 2009 |work=[[The New York Times]]}}</ref> Clinton took the oath of office of secretary of state, [[resignation from the United States Senate|resigning from the Senate]] later that day.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Clinton sworn in at State Dept. and then resigns Senate |first=Brian |last=Tumulty |work=[[The Journal News]] |date=January 21, 2009 |url=http://polhudson.lohudblogs.com/2009/01/21/clinton-has-resigned-the-senate-sworn-in-at-state-dept |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090201014210/http://polhudson.lohudblogs.com/2009/01/21/clinton-has-resigned-the-senate-sworn-in-at-state-dept |archive-date=February 1, 2009}}</ref> She became the first former first lady to be a member of the [[Cabinet of the United States|United States Cabinet]].<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.npr.org/blogs/politicaljunkie/2008/12/obama_brings_hillary_to_cabine.html |title=Obama Brings Hillary to Cabinet, GOP to Ariz. State House |author=Rudin, Ken |publisher=[[NPR]] |date=December 1, 2008}}</ref>{{Better source needed|reason=This source is a blog, not NPR proper.|date=December 2022}}

===Tenure===
During her tenure as secretary of state, Clinton and President Obama forged a positive working relationship that lacked power struggles. Clinton was regarded to be a team player within the Obama administration. She was also considered a defender of the administration to the public. She was regarded to be cautious to prevent herself or her husband from upstaging the president.<ref name="elle-2012"/><ref name="nyt-relat">{{Cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/19/us/politics/19policy.html |title=From Bitter Campaign to Strong Alliance |author=Landler, Mark |author2=Cooper, Helene |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |date=March 19, 2010}}</ref> Obama and Clinton both approached foreign policy as a largely non-ideological, pragmatic exercise.<ref name="nytm-rock"/> Clinton met with Obama weekly, but did not have the close, daily relationship that some of her predecessors had had with their presidents.<ref name="nyt-relat"/> Nevertheless, Obama was trusting of Clinton's actions.<ref name="nytm-rock"/> Clinton also formed an alliance with Secretary of Defense [[Robert Gates]] with whom she shared similar strategic outlooks.<ref name="a-p-gates">Allen and Parnes 2014, pp.&nbsp;117–21.</ref>

As secretary of state, Clinton sought to lead a rehabilitation of the United States' reputation on the world stage. After taking office, Clinton spent several days telephoning dozens of world leaders and indicating that [[U.S. foreign policy]] would change direction. Days into her tenure, she remarked, "We have a lot of damage to repair."<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://articles.latimes.com/2009/jan/28/world/fg-clinton28 |title=World breathes sigh of relief, Hillary Clinton says |author=Richter, Paul |work=[[Los Angeles Times]] |date=January 28, 2009}}</ref>

Clinton advocated an expanded role in global economic issues for the State Department, and cited the need for an increased U.S. diplomatic presence, especially in Iraq where the Defense Department had conducted [[diplomatic missions]].<ref name="nyt122208">{{Cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/23/us/politics/23diplo.html |title=Clinton Moves to Widen Role of State Dept. |author=Landler, Mark |author2=Cooper, Helene |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |date=December 22, 2008}}</ref> Clinton announced the most ambitious of her departmental reforms, the [[Quadrennial Diplomacy and Development Review]], which establishes specific objectives for the State Department's diplomatic missions abroad; it was modeled after [[Quadrennial Defense Review|a similar process]] in the Defense Department that she was familiar with from her time on the [[Senate Armed Services Committee]].{{sfn|Allen|Parnes|2014|pp=150–51}} The first such review was issued in late 2010 and called for the U.S. to lead through "civilian power".<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Foreign-Policy/2010/1215/Hillary-Clinton-s-vision-for-foreign-policy-on-a-tight-budget |title=Hillary Clinton's vision for foreign policy on a tight budget |author=LaFranchi, Howard |work=[[The Christian Science Monitor]] |date=December 15, 2010}}</ref> and prioritize the empowerment of women throughout the world.<ref name="nw-doctrine"/> One cause that Clinton promoted throughout her tenure was the adoption of [[Improved cookstove|cookstove]]s in the developing world, to foster cleaner and more environmentally sound food preparation and reduce smoke dangers to women.<ref name="nytm-rock"/>

[[File:Lavrov and Clinton reset relations-1 (cropped).jpg|thumb|alt=Hillary Clinton standing with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. Both of them are holding a "reset button". They are in a room with a window to the left and an American flag behind them|Russian foreign minister [[Sergey Lavrov]] and Clinton holding a "reset button", 2009]]

In a 2009 internal Obama administration debate regarding the War in Afghanistan, Clinton sided with the military's recommendations for a maximal "Afghanistan surge", recommending 40,000 troops and no public deadline for withdrawal. She prevailed over Vice President [[Joe Biden]]'s opposition but eventually supported Obama's compromise plan to send an additional 30,000 troops and [[Withdrawal of United States troops from Afghanistan (2011–2016)|tie the surge to a timetable for eventual withdrawal]].<ref name="landler-nytm"/>{{sfn|Allen|Parnes|2014|pp=122–24}}

In March 2009, Clinton presented Russian Foreign Minister [[Sergey Lavrov]] with a "[[reset button]]" symbolizing U.S. attempts to rebuild ties with that country under its new president, [[Dmitry Medvedev]].<ref name="nyt-putin">{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/24/world/europe/3-presidents-and-a-riddle-named-putin.html |title=3 Presidents and a Riddle Named Putin |author=Baker, Peter |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=March 23, 2014}}</ref>{{sfn|Allen|Parnes|2014|pp=136–38}} The policy, which became known as the [[Russian reset]], led to improved cooperation in several areas during Medvedev's presidency.<ref name="nyt-putin"/> However Clinton noted at the time that the US was concerned about Russia's use of energy as a tool of intimidation.<ref name="dwdgp">{{cite news |title=Russia's Gazprom - Corrupt politicians and the greed of the west |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kCNHwH9MxGA |agency=YouTube |publisher=DW Documentary |date=10 February 2024}}</ref> Bilateral relations, however, would decline considerably, after Medvedev's presidency ended in 2012 and [[Vladimir Putin]]'s return to the Russian presidency.<ref>{{cite news |title=DNC Email Hack: Why Vladimir Putin Hates Hillary Clinton |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/why-putin-hates-hillary-clinton-n617236 |work=NBC News |date=July 26, 2016}}</ref>

In October 2009, on a trip to Switzerland, Clinton's intervention overcame last-minute snafues and managed to secure the final signing of an [[2009 Armenia–Turkey Accord|historic Turkish–Armenian accord]] that established diplomatic relations and opened the border between the two long-hostile nations.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/feedarticle/8749600 |title=Turkey, Armenia sign historic accord |author=Lee, Matthew |agency=Associated Press |newspaper=[[The Guardian]] |location=London |date=October 10, 2009}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/05/world/middleeast/05clinton.html |title=In Middle East Peace Talks, Clinton Faces a Crucial Test |author=Landler, Mark |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |date=September 4, 2010}}</ref> Beginning in 2010, she helped organize a diplomatic isolation and international sanctions regime against Iran, in an effort to force curtailment of [[Nuclear program of Iran|that country's nuclear program]]; this would eventually lead to the multinational [[Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action]] being agreed to in 2015.<ref name="nytm-rock"/><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/17/world/middleeast/17diplo.html |title=Iran Policy Now More in Sync With Clinton's Views |first=Mark |last=Landler |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=February 16, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.politico.com/story/2015/07/hillary-clinton-iran-nuclear-deal-120078.html |title=Hillary Clinton endorses nuclear deal |first=Michael |last=Crowley |work=Politico |date=July 14, 2015}}</ref>

[[File:U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, left, greets Service members after her speech at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam 101029-N-QE566-002.jpg|thumb|left|alt=Clinton greeting U.S. military personnel at Andersen Air Force Base in Guam. The personnel are wearing uniforms and standing side by side.|Clinton greeting service members at [[Andersen Air Force Base]] in 2010]]

In a prepared speech in January 2010, Clinton drew analogies between the [[Iron Curtain]] and the free and unfree Internet,<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://articles.latimes.com/2010/jan/23/world/la-fg-google-china23-2010jan23 |title=Sino-U.S. ties hit new snag over Internet issues |author=Richter, Paul |author2=Pierson, David |newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]] |date=January 23, 2010}}</ref> which marked the first time that a senior American government official had clearly defined the Internet as a key element of American foreign policy.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/23/world/asia/23china.html |title=China Rebuffs Clinton on Internet Warning |author=Landler, Mark |author2=Wong, Edward |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |date=January 22, 2010}}</ref>

In July 2010, she visited South Korea, where she and [[Cheryl Mills]] successfully worked to convince SAE-A, a large apparel subcontractor, to invest in Haiti despite the company's deep concerns about plans to raise the minimum wage.<ref name="Sontag">{{cite news|title=Earthquake Relief Where Haiti Wasn't Broken|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/06/world/americas/earthquake-relief-where-haiti-wasnt-broken.html|access-date=August 24, 2019|newspaper=The New York Times|date=July 5, 2012|author=Sontag, Deborah}}</ref> This tied into the "build back better" program initiated by her husband after he was named the UN Special Envoy to Haiti in 2009 following a tropical storm season that caused $1&nbsp;billion in damages to Haiti.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/8056762.stm | title=Bill Clinton to be UN Haiti envoy | work=BBC News | date=May 19, 2009 | access-date=August 24, 2019}}</ref>

The [[2011 Egyptian protests]] posed the most challenging foreign policy crisis yet for the Obama administration.<ref name="pol-egypt-hrc">{{cite news |url=http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0211/48658.html |title=Hillary Clinton plays key role in dance with Hosni Mubarak |author=Thrush, Glenn |work=[[Politico]] |date=February 2, 2011}}</ref> Clinton's public response quickly evolved from an early assessment that the government of [[Hosni Mubarak]] was "stable", to a stance that there needed to be an "orderly transition [to] a democratic participatory government", to a condemnation of violence against the protesters.<ref name="reut-evol">{{cite news |url=https://af.reuters.com/article/egyptNews/idAFN0219913120110202?sp=true |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110511071154/http://af.reuters.com/article/egyptNews/idAFN0219913120110202?sp=true |url-status=dead |archive-date=May 11, 2011 |title=Factbox&nbsp;– Evolution of U.S. stance on Egypt |work=[[Reuters]] |date=February 2, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://nation.com.pk/International/04-Feb-2011/Hillary-urges-probe-into-new-Cairo-violence |title=Hillary urges probe into new Cairo violence |newspaper=[[The Nation (Pakistan)|The Nation]] |location=Lahore |date=February 4, 2011 |access-date=September 15, 2014 |archive-date=October 18, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171018061542/http://nation.com.pk/international/04-Feb-2011/hillary-urges-probe-into-new-cairo-violence |url-status=dead }}</ref> Obama came to rely upon Clinton's advice, organization and personal connections in the behind-the-scenes response to developments.<ref name="pol-egypt-hrc"/> As [[Arab Spring]] protests spread throughout the region, Clinton was at the forefront of a U.S. response that she recognized was sometimes contradictory, backing some regimes while supporting protesters against others.<ref name="nyt-libya-change">{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/19/world/africa/19policy.html |title=Obama Takes Hard Line With Libya After Shift by Clinton |author=Cooper, Helene |author2=Myers, Steven Lee |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=March 18, 2011}}</ref>

As the [[Libyan Civil War (2011)|Libyan Civil War]] took place, Clinton's shift in favor of military intervention aligned her with [[United States Ambassador to the United Nations|Ambassador to the UN]] [[Susan Rice]] and National Security Council figure [[Samantha Power]]. This was a key turning point in overcoming internal administration opposition from Defense Secretary Gates, security advisor [[Thomas E. Donilon]] and counterterrorism advisor [[John O. Brennan|John Brennan]] in gaining the backing for, and Arab and U.N. approval of, the [[2011 military intervention in Libya]].<ref name="nyt-libya-change"/><ref name="time-smart"/><ref name="pol-no-2nd">{{cite news |url=http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0311/51515.html |title=Day after saying no second term, a big win for Hillary Clinton |author=Thrush, Glenn |work=[[Politico]] |date=March 17, 2011}}</ref> Secretary Clinton testified to Congress that the administration did not need [[Declaration of war by the United States|congressional authorization]] for its military intervention in Libya, despite objections from some members of both parties that the administration was violating the [[War Powers Resolution]]. The State Department's legal advisor argued the same point when the Resolution's 60-day limit for unauthorized wars was passed (a view that prevailed in a legal debate within the Obama administration).<ref>{{cite book |author=Savage, Charlie |title=Power Wars: Inside Obama's Post-9/11 Presidency |pages=639, 643–49 |publisher=[[Little, Brown and Company]] |location=New York |year=2015 |isbn=978-0-316-28657-2 |author-link=Charlie Savage (author)}}</ref> Clinton later used U.S. allies and what she called "convening power" to promote unity among the [[Anti-Gaddafi forces|Libyan rebels]] as they eventually overthrew the [[Gaddafi regime]].<ref name="time-smart">{{cite news |url=http://content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,2097973,00.html |title=Hillary Clinton and the Rise of Smart Power |author=Calabresi, Massimo |magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] |date=November 7, 2011 |pages=26–31 }} See also {{cite news |url=http://am.blogs.cnn.com/2011/10/28/time-magazine-editor-explains-hillary-clintons-smart-power/ |title=TIME magazine editor explains Hillary Clinton's 'smart power' |publisher=[[CNN]] |date=October 28, 2011 |access-date=September 28, 2013 |archive-date=September 23, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130923040419/http://am.blogs.cnn.com/2011/10/28/time-magazine-editor-explains-hillary-clintons-smart-power/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> The [[Aftermath of the 2011 Libyan Civil War|aftermath of the Libyan Civil War]] saw the country becoming a [[failed state]].<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.cnn.com/2015/06/08/politics/hillary-clinton-libya-election-2016/index.html |title=Hillary Clinton's real Libya problem |author=Collinson, Stephen |publisher=[[CNN]] |date=June 15, 2015}}</ref> The wisdom of the intervention and interpretation of what happened afterward would become the subject of considerable debate.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/03/07/libya-intervention-daalder_n_6809756.html |title=Was The 2011 Libya Intervention A Mistake? |first=Nick |last=Robins-Early |work=[[The Huffington Post]] |date=March 7, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |title=Obama's Libya Debacle |first=Alan J. |last=Kuperman |journal=[[Foreign Affairs]] |date=March–April 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |url=https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/libya/2015-04-20/who-lost-libya |title=Who Lost Libya? |first1=Derek |last1=Chollet |first2=Ben |last2=Fishman |journal=[[Foreign Affairs]] |issue=May/June 2015 |date=May–June 2015|volume=94 }}</ref>

During April 2011, internal deliberations of the president's innermost circle of advisors over whether to order [[United States Navy SEALs|U.S. special forces]] to conduct a raid into Pakistan against [[Osama bin Laden]], Clinton was among those who argued in favor, saying the importance of getting bin Laden outweighed the risks to the U.S. relationship with Pakistan.<ref>{{cite book |first=Mark |last=Bowden |author-link=Mark Bowden |title=The Finish: The Killing of Osama Bin Laden |publisher=[[Atlantic Monthly Press]] |year=2012 |isbn=978-0-8021-2034-2 |pages=198–204}}</ref>{{sfn|Allen|Parnes|2014|pp=233–37}} Following the completion of the mission on May{{nbsp}}2 resulting in [[Death of Osama bin Laden|bin Laden's death]], Clinton played a key role in the administration's decision not to release photographs of the dead al-Qaeda leader.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.nationaljournal.com/whitehouse/why-obama-nixed-the-photo-release-20110504 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20110507030825/http://www.nationaljournal.com/whitehouse/why-obama-nixed-the-photo-release-20110504 |url-status=dead |archive-date= May 7, 2011 |title=Why Obama Nixed the Photo Release |author=Ambinder, Marc |author2=Cooper, Matthew |work=[[National Journal]] |location=Washington, DC |date=May 4, 2011}}</ref> During internal discussions regarding Iraq in 2011, Clinton argued for keeping a residual force of up to 10,000–20,000 U.S. troops there. (All of them ended up being withdrawn after negotiations for a revised [[U.S.–Iraq Status of Forces Agreement]] failed.)<ref name="landler-nytm"/><ref name="time-crowley"/>

[[File:Secretary Clinton Meets Daw Aung San Suu Kyi for Dinner (6437448295).jpg|thumb|alt=Clinton standing with Aung San Suu Kyi. The two women are discussing something during Clinton's 2011 visit to Burma.|Clinton with [[Aung San Suu Kyi]] during her 2011 visit to Myanmar]]

In a speech before the [[United Nations Human Rights Council]] in December 2011, Clinton said that, "Gay rights are human rights", and that the U.S. would advocate for [[gay rights]] and legal protections of gay people abroad.{{sfn|Allen|Parnes|2014|p=372}} The same period saw her overcome internal administration opposition with a direct appeal to Obama and stage the first visit to [[Burma]] by a U.S. secretary of state since 1955. She met with Burmese leaders as well as opposition leader [[Aung San Suu Kyi]] and sought to support the [[2011–15 Myanmar political reforms|2011 Burmese democratic reforms]].<ref name="nyt-backstage"/><ref>Ghattas 2013, pp.&nbsp;294–304.</ref> She also said the 21st century would be "America's Pacific century",<ref>{{cite journal |last=Clinton |first=Hillary |title=America's Pacific Century |journal=[[Foreign Policy]] |issue=189 |date=November 2011 |pages=56–63}}</ref> a declaration that was part of the [[East Asian foreign policy of the Barack Obama administration|Obama administration's "pivot to Asia"]].<ref>Ghattas 2013, p.&nbsp;187.</ref>

During the [[Syrian Civil War]], Clinton and the Obama administration initially sought to persuade Syrian president [[Bashar al-Assad]] to engage popular demonstrations with reform. As government violence allegedly rose in August 2011, they called for him to resign from the presidency.<ref>Ghattas 2013, pp.&nbsp;282–85.</ref> The administration joined several countries in delivering non-lethal assistance to so-called [[Syrian opposition|rebels opposed to the Assad government]] and humanitarian groups working in Syria.<ref>{{cite news |last=Myers |first=Steven Lee |title=U.S. joins effort to equip and pay rebels in Syria |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/02/world/middleeast/us-and-other-countries-move-to-increase-assistance-to-syrian-rebels.html |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=April 1, 2012}}</ref> During mid-2012, Clinton formed a plan with CIA Director David Petraeus to further strengthen the opposition by arming and training vetted groups of Syrian rebels. The proposal was rejected by White House officials who were reluctant to become entangled in the conflict, fearing that extremists hidden among the rebels might turn the weapons against other targets.<ref name="nyt-backstage">{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/03/us/politics/in-behind-scene-blows-and-triumphs-sense-of-clinton-future.html |title=Backstage Glimpses of Clinton as Dogged Diplomat, Win or Lose |author=Gordon, Michael R. |author2=Landler, Mark |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=February 3, 2013}}</ref>{{sfn|Allen|Parnes|2014|p=340}}

In December 2012, Clinton was hospitalized for a few days for treatment of a [[Cerebral venous sinus thrombosis|blood clot]] in her [[Transverse sinuses|right transverse]] [[Dural venous sinuses|venous sinus]].{{sfn|Allen|Parnes|2014|pp=339–42, 360–62}} Her doctors had discovered the clot during a follow-up examination for a [[concussion]] she had sustained when she fainted and fell nearly three weeks earlier, as a result of severe dehydration from a viral [[gastroenteritis|intestinal ailment]] acquired during a trip to Europe.{{sfn|Allen|Parnes|2014|pp=339–42, 360–62}}<ref name="nyt-hosp"/> The clot, which caused no immediate neurological injury, was treated with [[anticoagulant]] medication, and her doctors have said she has made a full recovery.<ref name="nyt-hosp"/><ref name="health-2015"/>{{efn|While generally experiencing good health in her life, Clinton had previously had a potentially serious blood clot behind her knee (a [[deep vein thrombosis]]) while first lady in 1998, for which she had required anticoagulant treatment.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.nydailynews.com/news/hillary-clinton-life-60-article-1.228020 |title=Hillary Clinton: My life at 60 |author=Evans, Heidi |work=[[New York Daily News|Daily News]] |location=New York |date=October 25, 2007}}</ref> An elbow fracture and subsequent painful recuperation had caused Clinton to miss two foreign trips as Secretary of State in 2009.{{sfn|Allen|Parnes|2014|pp=139–41}} It was also disclosed in 2015 that she had a second deep vein thrombosis in 2009.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/hillary-clinton-has-not-been-quick-to-share-health-information/2016/09/11/822b1b0c-784d-11e6-bd86-b7bbd53d2b5d_story.html|title=Hillary Clinton has not been quick to share health information|last=Frankel|first=Todd C.|date=September 11, 2016|newspaper=The Washington Post|access-date=January 22, 2020}}</ref> The 2012 concussion and clot episode caused Clinton to postpone her congressional testimony on the [[Benghazi attack]] and to miss any foreign trips planned for the rest of her tenure.<ref name="nyt-hosp"/> After returning to public activity, she wore special glasses for two months, with a [[Fresnel lens]] for the left eye to compensate for [[double vision]], a lingering effect of the concussion.<ref name="health-2015"/><ref>{{cite news |url=https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/hillary-clintons-glasses-concussion-fashion/story?id=18313426 |title=Hillary Clinton's Glasses Are For Concussion, Not Fashion |author=Hughes, Dana |author2=Childs, Dan |work=[[ABC News]] |date=January 25, 2013}}</ref> She remained on anticoagulant medication as a precaution.<ref name="health-2015">{{cite news |url=http://www.politico.com/story/2015/07/hillary-clinton-health-excellent-doctor-letter-2016-campaign-120861.html |title=Hillary's health 'excellent,' doctor says |author=Karni, Annie |work=[[Politico]] |date=July 31, 2015}}</ref>}}

====Overall themes====
[[File:Obama and Biden await updates on bin Laden.jpg|thumb|left|alt=Obama and Biden, along with members of the national security team watching a live feed|Clinton, along with members of the national security team, receive an update on Operation Neptune Spear in the White House Situation Room in 2011. Everyone in the room is watching a live feed from drones operating over the Osama bin Laden complex.]]

Throughout her time in office (and mentioned in her final speech concluding it), Clinton viewed "[[smart power]]" as the strategy for asserting U.S. leadership and values. In a world of varied threats, weakened central governments and increasingly important nongovernmental entities, smart power combined military [[hard power]] with diplomacy and U.S. [[soft power]] capacities in global economics, development aid, technology, creativity and human rights advocacy.<ref name="time-smart"/><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/in-farewell-speech-clinton-calls-for-smart-power-on-global-stage/ |title=In farewell speech, Clinton calls for 'smart power' on global stage |author=Madison, Lucy |work=[[CBS News]] |date=January 31, 2013}}</ref> As such, she became the first secretary of state to methodically implement the smart power approach.<ref>Ghattas 2013, pp.&nbsp;11, 334.</ref> In debates over use of military force, she was generally one of the more [[War hawk|hawkish]] voices in the administration.<ref name="landler-nytm"/><ref name="a-p-gates"/><ref name="time-crowley">{{cite magazine |url=http://swampland.time.com/2014/01/14/hillary-clintons-unapologetically-hawkish-record-faces-2016-test/ |title=Hillary Clinton's Unapologetically Hawkish Record Faces 2016 Test |author=Crowley, Michael |magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] |date=January 14, 2014}}</ref> In August 2011 she hailed the ongoing multinational military intervention in Libya and the initial U.S. response towards the Syrian Civil War as examples of smart power in action.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/clinton-us-using-smart-power-for-libya-syria/ |title=Clinton: US using 'smart power' for Libya, Syria |work=[[CBS News]] |date=August 16, 2011}}</ref>

Clinton greatly expanded the State Department's use of [[social media]], including Facebook and Twitter, to get its message out and to help empower citizens of foreign countries vis-à-vis their governments.<ref name="time-smart"/>
And in the Mideast turmoil, Clinton particularly saw an opportunity to advance one of the central themes of her tenure, the empowerment and welfare of women and girls worldwide.<ref name="nw-doctrine">{{cite news |url=http://www.newsweek.com/2011/03/06/the-hillary-doctrine.html |title=The Hillary Doctrine |author=Lemmon, Gayle Tzemach |work=[[Newsweek]] |date=March 6, 2011}}</ref> Moreover, in a formulation that became known as the "[[Hillary Doctrine]]", she viewed women's rights as critical for U.S. security interests, due to a link between the level of violence against women and gender inequality within a state, and the instability and challenge to international security of that state.<ref name="elle-2012">{{cite news |url=http://www.elle.com/life-love/society-career/at-the-pinnacle-of-hillary-clintons-career-654140 |title=At the Pinnacle of Hillary Clinton's Career |author=Combe, Rachael |magazine=[[Elle (magazine)|Elle]] |date=April 5, 2012}}</ref><ref>Hudson and Leidl 2015, pp. 3–4.</ref> In turn, there was a trend of women around the world finding more opportunities, and in some cases feeling safer, as the result of her actions and visibility.<ref>Hudson and Leidl 2015, pp. 57–60.</ref>

Clinton visited 112&nbsp;countries during her tenure, making her the most widely traveled secretary of state<ref name="nyt-amplified">{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/05/us/politics/scare-amplifies-fears-that-clintons-work-has-taken-heavy-toll.html |title=Scare Adds to Fears That Clinton's Work Has Taken Toll |last=Landler |first=Mark |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |date=January 4, 2013}}</ref>{{efn|Clinton's 112 countries visited broke [[Madeleine Albright]]'s previous mark of 96.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://news.yahoo.com/frequent-flier-clinton-hits-100-country-mark-073258740.html |title=Frequent flier Hillary Clinton hits 100-country mark |author=Lee, Matthew |agency=Associated Press |publisher=[[Yahoo! News]] |date=June 28, 2012}}</ref> Clinton's sum of 956,733 air miles traveled, however, fell short of [[Condoleezza Rice]]'s record for mileage.<ref name="nyt-amplified"/> That total, 1,059,207, was bolstered late in her tenure by repeated trips to the Middle East.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://content.usatoday.com/communities/theoval/post/2012/06/clinton-rice-vie-for-most-traveled-secretary-of-state/1 |title=Clinton, Rice vie for most traveled secretary of State |author=Jackson, David |work=[[USA Today]] |date=June 18, 2012}}</ref>}} ([[Time (magazine)|''Time'' magazine]] wrote that "Clinton's endurance is legendary".)<ref name="time-smart"/> The first secretary of state to visit countries like [[Togo]] and [[East Timor]], she believed that in-person visits were more important than ever in the virtual age.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/departing-secretary-state-hillary-clinton-leaves-legacy-firsts/story?id=18039755&singlePage=true |title=Departing Secretary of State Hillary Clinton Leaves Behind a Legacy of Firsts |author=Parnass, Sarah |author2=Hughes, Dana |work=[[ABC News]] |date=December 23, 2012}}</ref> As early as March 2011, she indicated she was not interested in serving a second term as secretary of state should Obama be [[2012 United States presidential election|re-elected in 2012]];<ref name="pol-no-2nd"/> in December 2012, following that re-election, Obama nominated Senator [[John Kerry]] to be Clinton's successor.<ref name="nyt-hosp">{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/31/us/hillary-clinton-goes-to-hospital-after-exam-finds-a-blood-clot.html |title=Clinton's Blood Clot Is Located Near Her Brain, Doctors Say |author=Cooper, Helene |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |date=December 31, 2012}}</ref> Her last day as secretary of state was February 1, 2013.<ref name="cbs-next">{{cite news |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/is-hillary-clinton-closing-the-door-on-politics/ |title=Is Hillary Clinton closing the door on politics? |author=Miller, Jake |work=[[CBS News]] |date=January 29, 2013}}</ref> Upon her departure, analysts commented that Clinton's tenure did not bring any signature diplomatic breakthroughs as some other secretaries of state had accomplished,<ref name="lat-legacy">{{cite news |url=https://articles.latimes.com/2013/jan/28/nation/la-na-clinton-legacy-20130128 |title=Hillary Clinton's legacy at State: Splendid but not spectacular |author=Richter, Paul |work=[[Los Angeles Times]] |date=January 28, 2013}}</ref><ref name="nykr-legacy">{{cite news |url=https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2013/02/11/long-engagements |title=Long Engagements |author=Packer, George |author-link=George Packer |magazine=[[The New Yorker]] |date=February 11, 2013}}</ref> and highlighted her focus on goals she thought were less tangible but would have more lasting effect.<ref>Ghattas 2013, pp.&nbsp;216, 225.</ref> She has also been criticized for accepting millions in dollars in donations from foreign governments to the [[Clinton Foundation]] during her tenure as Secretary of State.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/foreign-governments-gave-millions-to-foundation-while-clinton-was-at-state-dept/2015/02/25/31937c1e-bc3f-11e4-8668-4e7ba8439ca6_story.html |title=Foreign governments gave millions to foundation while Clinton was at State Dept. |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=February 25, 2015 |access-date=December 30, 2019}}</ref>

===Benghazi attack and subsequent hearings===
{{See also|2012 Benghazi attack|United States House Select Committee on Benghazi}}
[[File:Obama and Clinton at Transfer of Remains Ceremony for Benghazi attack victims Sep 14, 2012.jpg|thumb|alt=Obama and Clinton at a somber occasion, honoring the Benghazi attack victims at the Transfer of Remains Ceremony, held at Andrews Air Force Base on September 14, 2012. Soldiers are standing behind Obama and Clinton, and everyone is standing on a large wooden floor with their left hands to their side and their right hands on their upper chests.|Obama and Clinton honor the [[Benghazi attack]] victims at the Transfer of Remains Ceremony, held at [[Andrews Air Force Base]] on September 14, 2012.]]

On September 11, 2012, [[2012 Benghazi attack|the U.S. diplomatic mission in Benghazi, Libya, was attacked]], resulting in the deaths of the U.S. Ambassador, [[J. Christopher Stevens]] and three other Americans. The attack, questions surrounding the security of the U.S. consulate, and the [[2012 Benghazi attack#U.S. government response|varying explanations given afterward by administration officials]] for what had happened became politically controversial in the U.S.<ref name="cnn-attack-resp">{{cite news |url=http://www.cnn.com/2012/10/15/us/clinton-benghazi/index.html |title=Clinton: I'm responsible for diplomats' security |author=Labott, Elise |publisher=[[CNN]] |date=October 16, 2012}}</ref> On October 15, Clinton took responsibility for the question of security lapses saying the differing explanations were due to the inevitable [[fog of war]] confusion after such events.<ref name="cnn-attack-resp"/><ref>{{cite news |author=Gordon, Michael |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/16/world/africa/clinton-takes-responsibility-for-libya-security-failure.html |title=Clinton Takes Responsibility for Security Failure in Libya |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=October 15, 2012}}</ref>

On December 19, a panel led by [[Thomas R. Pickering]] and [[Michael Mullen]] issued its report on the matter. It was sharply critical of State Department officials in Washington for ignoring requests for more guards and safety upgrades and for failing to adapt security procedures to a deteriorating security environment.<ref name="upi-arb">{{cite news |url=http://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2012/12/19/Clinton-accepts-Benghazi-panel-guidance/UPI-34121355896475/ |title=Three in State Dept. resign after report |work=[[United Press International]] |date=December 19, 2012}}</ref> It focused its criticism on the department's [[Bureau of Diplomatic Security]] and [[Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs]]; four State Department officials at the assistant secretary level and below were removed from their posts as a consequence.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/20/us/politics/3-state-dept-officials-resign-following-benghazi-report.html |title=4 Are Out at State Dept. After Scathing Report on Benghazi Attack |author=Gordon, Michael R. |author2=Schmitt, Eric |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |date=December 19, 2012}}</ref> Clinton said she accepted the conclusions of the report and that changes were underway to implement its suggested recommendations.<ref name="upi-arb"/>

Clinton gave testimony to two congressional foreign affairs committees on January 23, 2013, regarding the Benghazi attack. She defended her actions in response to the incident, and while still accepting formal responsibility, said she had had no direct role in specific discussions beforehand regarding consulate security.<ref name="cnn-0123-hearings">{{cite news |url=http://www.cnn.com/2013/01/23/politics/clinton-benghazi/index.html |title=Clinton takes on Benghazi critics, warns of more security threats |author=Dougherty, Jill |author2=Cohen, Tom |publisher=[[CNN]] |date=January 24, 2013}}</ref> Congressional Republicans challenged her on several points, to which she responded. In particular, after persistent questioning about whether or not the administration had issued inaccurate "talking points" after the attack, Clinton responded with the much-quoted rejoinder, "With all due respect, the fact is we had four dead Americans. Was it because of a protest or was it because of guys out for a walk one night who decided that they'd they go kill some Americans? What difference at this point does it make? It is our job to figure out what happened and do everything we can to prevent it from ever happening again, Senator."<ref name="cnn-0123-hearings"/><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/article/2013/may/08/context-hillary-clintons-what-difference-does-it-m/ |title=In Context: Hillary Clinton's 'What difference does it make' comment |website=[[PolitiFact]] |date=May 8, 2013}}</ref>
In November 2014, the [[House Intelligence Committee]] issued a report that concluded there had been no wrongdoing in the administration's response to the attack.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.latimes.com/world/africa/la-fg-house-benghazi-20141123-story.html |title=GOP panel on Benghazi finds no Obama administration wrongdoing |agency=Associated Press |work=[[Los Angeles Times]] |date=November 22, 2014}}</ref>

The Republican-led [[United States House Select Committee on Benghazi|House Select Committee on Benghazi]] was created in May 2014 and conducted a two-year investigation related to the 2012 attack.<ref name="usa-bengcom">{{cite news |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2016/06/28/analysis-house-benghazi-committee-report-clinton/86475012/ |title=Analysis: House Benghazi Committee report was drowned by politics |author=Singer, Paul |work=[[USA Today]] |date=June 28, 2016}}</ref> The committee was criticized as partisan,<ref name="usa-bengcom"/><ref name="nyt-bengcom"/> including by one of its ex-staffers.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Diamond |first=Jake Tapper, Jeremy |date=October 10, 2015 |title=Ex-staffer: Benghazi committee pursuing 'partisan investigation' targeting Hillary Clinton {{!}} CNN Politics |url=https://www.cnn.com/2015/10/10/politics/benghazi-committee-investigation-political-hillary-clinton-brad-podliska-lawsuit/index.html |access-date=December 20, 2022 |website=CNN |language=en}}</ref> Some Republicans admitted that the committee aimed to lower Clinton's poll numbers.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2015/09/30/boehners-likely-successor-credits-benghazi-committee-for-lowering-hillary-clintons-poll-numbers/ |title=Boehner's likely successor credits Benghazi committee for lowering Hillary Clinton's poll numbers |author=Weigel, David |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |date=September 30, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Allen |first=Jonathan |date=October 15, 2015 |title=House Republican says Benghazi committee was "designed" to hit Clinton |url=https://www.vox.com/2015/10/15/9539481/republican-benghazi-committee-designed |access-date=December 20, 2022 |website=Vox |language=en}}</ref> On October 22, 2015, Clinton testified at an all-day and nighttime session before the committee.<ref name="ShearSchmidt">{{cite news |first1=Michael D. |last1=Shear |first2=Michael S. |last2=Schmidt |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/23/us/politics/hillary-clinton-benghazi-committee.html |title=Benghazi Panel Engages Clinton in Tense Session |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=October 22, 2015}}</ref><ref name="wapo-nosolid">{{cite news |first1=David A. |last1=Fahrenthold |first2=Elise |last2=Viebeck |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/clintons-benghazi-testimony-today-has-high-political-stakes-for-both-sides/2015/10/22/beff40d2-7838-11e5-bc80-9091021aeb69_story.html |title=GOP lands no solid punches while sparring with Clinton over Benghazi |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |date=October 22, 2015}}</ref> Clinton was widely seen as emerging largely unscathed from the hearing, because of what the media perceived as a calm and unfazed demeanor and a lengthy, meandering, repetitive line of questioning from the committee.<ref>For accounts of Clinton's appearance before the select committee, see {{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/clinton-back-in-the-benghazi-hot-seat-withstands-republicans-grilling/2015/10/22/3ce69dbe-78e4-11e5-a958-d889faf561dc_story.html |author=Gearan, Anne |author2=Tumulty, Karen |author3=Viebeck, Elise |title=Clinton, back in the Benghazi hot seat, withstands Republicans' grilling |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |date=October 22, 2015}}; {{cite news |url=https://thehill.com/policy/national-security/257844-clinton-largely-unscathed-by-gop-benghazi-hearing/ |author=Hattern, Julian |author2=Parnes, Amie |title=Clinton largely unscathed by GOP Benghazi hearing |work=[[The Hill (newspaper)|The Hill]] |date=October 22, 2015}}; {{cite news |url=http://www.politico.com/story/2015/10/trey-gowdy-hillary-clinton-benghazi-215032 |author=Bade, Rachael | author-link = Rachael Bade |title=Clinton survives 11-hour Benghazi grilling |work=[[Politico]] |date=October 22, 2015}}; {{cite magazine |url=https://www.newyorker.com/news/john-cassidy/where-the-benghazi-committee-went-wrong |title=Where the Benghazi Committee Went Wrong |author=Cassidy, John |magazine=The New Yorker |date=October 22, 2015}}; {{cite news |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2015/10/22/hillary-clinton-benghazi-committee-trey-gowdy/74352358/ |title=No clear wins for GOP at Benghazi hearing |author=Troyan, Mary |work=[[USA Today]] |date=October 23, 2015}}; and {{cite news |url=http://www.cnn.com/2015/10/22/politics/hillary-clinton-benghazi-hearing-updates/ |title=Marathon Benghazi hearing leaves Hillary Clinton largely unscathed |author=Collinson, Stephen |publisher=[[CNN]] |date=October 23, 2015}}</ref> The committee issued competing final reports in June 2016; the Republican report offered no evidence of culpability by Clinton.<ref name="nyt-bengcom">{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/29/us/politics/hillary-clinton-benghazi.html |title=House Benghazi Report Finds No New Evidence of Wrongdoing by Hillary Clinton |author=Herszenhorn, David M. |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=June 28, 2016}}</ref><ref name="usa-bengcom"/>