Congresswoman Clinton? President Clinton? For now, Chelsea Clinton insists she’s focused far less on her political future than burnishing her profile as an author of children’s books.
The former first daughter embarked on a six-state book tour Tuesday that was scheduled back when she believed her mother was on the way to the White House. But with Hillary Clinton‘s political career possibly over following a devastating election loss, people can’t stop speculating about whether the younger Clinton intends to take up the family business.
Those closest to Chelsea Clinton say she maintains a passion for public service, but she has only just begun to contemplate her role in a future that does not include President Hillary Clinton.
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“There’s lots of TBDs in Chelsea’s future,” Clinton chief of staff Bari Lurie told The Associated Press, using the acronym for “to be determined.”
”But right now she’s very clear: One of those TBDs is not running for office.”
There’s been no internal polling about her political prospects, no private discussions with political consultants. No one scheduled the book tour — to promote the paperback release of It’s Your World, a book aimed at middle-school students — thinking it would be an effective vehicle to launch a serious political run. She is also preparing to release an illustrated children’s book in May that celebrates female leaders.
Chelsea Clinton was blunt in a Tuesday interview with CBS This Morning, but also left the door open a crack when asked whether she was running for public office.
“No, no, no,” Clinton said, noting that she’s pleased with her state and local public officials in New York City.
“I clearly don’t agree with our president, but I’m definitely not the right person to run to defeat him in 2020,” she continued. “So right now, the answer is no. But I think we all need to be asking ourselves that question periodically.”
Asked whether a run for office is inevitable because her parents were both politicians, Chelsea Clinton, 37, would only say that people should be willing to fight for programs and policies they believe in. She said, “I hope that politics is in all of our DNA.”
The comments come as her mother’s political standing reaches new lows. In December, more than 60 percent of Democrats and independents said Hillary Clinton should not run again for office, according to a Suffolk University/USA Today poll.
Political operatives in New York say that Chelsea Clinton, who lives in Manhattan, may have more options than her mother’s poor numbers suggest.
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“The brand here is still pretty strong,” said Jefrey Pollock, a New York-based Democratic pollster, referring to liberal New York City and its suburbs. “For right now, if there’s a future, it’s going to be something more local than national.”
And while her Tuesday night book tour stop in lower Manhattan was sold out, there were signs of Clinton fatigue even among the New York City Democrats lined up early to get a good seat.
“Democrats need a leader,” said 51-year-old Susan Conrad, an artist. “I don’t see Chelsea as that person.”
Conrad’s friend Gillian Wells agreed. “I’m glad she’s staying in the public eye. But this would not be a good time for her to run,” said the 63-year-old interior architect. “Maybe in a few years.”
Chelsea Clinton continues to serve as vice chairwoman of the board at the Clinton Foundation, an unpaid position that puts her at the center of decisions about the foundation’s future. Among other responsibilities, she plays an active role in fundraising, promotion and program evaluation.
She is also teaching a class on global health governance at Columbia University and recently joined the board of the internet travel site Expedia.
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And she is eager to speak out against President Donald Trump’s policies.
Late last week, she warned during a televised fundraiser for the American Civil Liberties Union that Republican-backed voter ID laws are threatening the right to vote.
Over the weekend, she tweeted a link to the Los Angeles Times headline: “Our Dishonest President.” And on Monday, she posted a message to her 1.6 million Twitter followers highlighting the Trump administration’s plan to cut funding at the Environmental Protection Agency.
“She’s made it very clear: ‘I can care deeply and fight for issues I’m passionate about and not be running for public office,” Lurie said.
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