(FeaturedNews.com) – On Tuesday, the State Department unveiled the official portrait of former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
In his remarks, Secretary of State Antony Blinken noted that it was “Awe-inspiring” to walk to the secretary’s office looking at the portraits of all predecessors who had previously carried out the role. He added that all but three people in those portraits are white men. However, now one more secretary would be added to their “esteemed group.”
In his introduction of Clinton, Blinken praised her for transforming U.S. diplomacy in the 21st century. He also spoke about Clinton’s work to protect and empower the LGBTQ community, women and girls, and her decision to call out Russian President Vladimir Putin from the start.
The Obama administration secretary of State was also the first former first lady and the first woman elected in the U.S. Senate from New York. She was previously the Democratic presidential nominee in 2016 and became the first woman to win the presidential nomination of a major party.
Clinton, who was also in attendance, gave her own remarks before unveiling the portrait and spoke up about the importance of the U.S. remaining committed to “diplomacy and development.” She added that expanding NATO, opposing Russian aggression, and handling diplomacy in the Indo-Pacific with China is crucial for the United States. Finally, she pointed out that it had been some time since she had seen the official portrait because of the prior administration and the pandemic.
Numerous notable profiles on X criticized the portrait and expressed disapproval towards Clinton for the recognition, highlighting the Benghazi incident in Libya where four U.S. diplomats lost their lives while Clinton led the State Department.
WATCH:
Hillary Clinton attends the unveiling of her official portrait for her role as the 67th Secretary of State.
“I haven't seen this portrait in a really long time … between COVID, between not wanting to finish it during the prior administration,” Clinton says. pic.twitter.com/LL8mWprXRe
— The Recount (@therecount) September 26, 2023
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