Huma Abedin reflects on her career as an aide and advisor to Hillary Clinton, with particular emphasis on her service as the State Department's deputy chief of staff for operations from 2009 to 2013, during Clinton's tenure as secretary of state. Abedin outlines the development of her personal and advisory relationship with Hillary Clinton, sharing stories of notable episodes from her time in the C linton White House, as an aide in Clinton's U.S senate office, and from the 2008 Democratic presidential primary campaign. Abedin focuses on Clinton's efforts to shift the emphasis of State Department diplomatic activity away from high-level ministerial meetings and toward people-to-people and government-to-people interactions, including by Clinton's participation in town hall interviews in foreign countries, attendance at offbeat cultural events, and consistent emphasis on women's rights as the foundation of economic development. Abedin also provides details about major events, trips, and initiatives with which she was closely involved, including Clinton's first foreign trip as secretary of state, which was designed as part of the administration's pivot to Asia; Clinton's October 2009 trip to Pakistan; and trips to the Middle East before and during the events of the Arab Spring. Also discussed are the evolution of the relationship between Clinton and Barack Obama, the integration of the Clinton and Obama campaign staffs, the right-wing conspiracy theories that targeted Abedin and her family, Abedin's experience as a South Asian Muslim in government, and the culture of "Hillaryland," the core of Clinton's advisory staff
Presidents--United States; Women's rights; Arab Spring, 2010-; Presidential campaigns--United States; United States Foreign relations; Abedin, Huma, 1976-; Obama, Barack; Clinton, Hillary Rodham; United States Department of State; United States. Office of the First Lady
Format
oral histories
Genre
Interviews
Date
2021
Physical Description
72 pages
Note (Biographical)
Huma Abedin is an American political aide and advisor who has served as a longtime staffer for Hillary Clinton. In the Obama administration, Abedin served as deputy chief of staff for operations to Secretary Clinton from 2009 to 2013. Prior to the yea rs of the Obama presidency, Abedin worked as an aide to Clinton during her service as U.S. senator from New York. She was also chief of staff to Clinton's 2008 presidential campaign and vice-chair of Clinton's 2016 presidential campaign. At the time of the interview, Abedin was serving as Clinton's chief of staff, a position she has held since 2013. She also held a number of positions in the Clinton presidential administration, including intern in the Office of the First Lady, assistant to the first lady's chief of staff, office manager, and the first lady's trip director and personal aide
Note
Interviewed by Evan D. McCormick on June 11, 2021. This interview is part of the Columbia University: Obama Presidency Oral History
Note (Provenance)
Huma Abedin, Gift, transferred from Columbia Center for Oral History Research 2023