who is susan rice
Susan Rice is an American diplomat and policy adviser who has held several of the most senior national security and domestic policy roles in recent U.S. administrations.
Quick Scoop: Who is Susan Rice?
- Former U.S. National Security Advisor under President Barack Obama (2013–2017).
- Former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations (2009–2013), the first Black woman to hold that post.
- Former Domestic Policy Advisor to President Joe Biden (2021–2023), making her the only person to serve in the White House as both national security advisor and domestic policy advisor.
- Longtime foreign policy official dating back to the Clinton administration, including Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs.
- Rhodes Scholar with a doctorate in International Relations from Oxford and a BA in History from Stanford.
- Author of the memoir “Tough Love: My Story of the Things Worth Fighting For.”
Key Roles Over the Years
- 1990s: National Security Council staff and then Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs under President Bill Clinton.
- 2002–2008: Senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, focusing on U.S. foreign policy and global security.
- 2008: Senior foreign policy adviser to Barack Obama’s presidential campaign.
- 2009–2013: U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, serving in Obama’s Cabinet.
- 2013–2017: National Security Advisor, involved in issues like the Iran nuclear deal, the fight against ISIS, the Ebola response, Cuba normalization, and the Paris climate agreement.
- 2021–2023: Domestic Policy Advisor to President Joe Biden, overseeing a broad domestic agenda from the White House.
- 2024–2025: Visiting fellow at Stanford, working on governance of artificial intelligence and related policy issues.
Background and Education
- Grew up in Washington, D.C., attended National Cathedral School, where she was valedictorian and student government president.
- Earned a BA in History with honors at Stanford University; Truman Scholar, Phi Beta Kappa, and National Merit Scholar.
- Won a Rhodes Scholarship, then completed an M.Phil. and D.Phil. in International Relations at Oxford.
- Early career as a management consultant at McKinsey & Company.
Why She’s Often in the News and Forums
- Benghazi controversy (2012): Rice’s early public comments about the attack in Benghazi, Libya, made her a lightning rod in U.S. partisan debates, and her potential nomination as secretary of state later became politically contentious.
- “Unmasking” debate (2017): As former national security advisor, she was accused by some political opponents of improperly requesting identities of Americans in intelligence reports related to Donald Trump’s campaign; she denied wrongdoing and said requests were for legitimate national security context.
- High-profile critic and defender of U.S. foreign policy decisions, often appearing in media and writing about diplomacy, human rights, and American power.
These episodes mean Susan Rice frequently becomes a focal point in political forums and “trending topic” discussions, especially when U.S. foreign policy, surveillance, or Obama/Biden-era decisions are being debated.
Recent and Ongoing Work (mid‑2020s)
- After leaving the Biden White House in 2023, Rice has been active in academia and policy circles, including fellowships at institutions like Stanford, where she works on issues such as AI governance, democracy, and security.
- She continues to write, speak, and appear in interviews on U.S. foreign policy, domestic policy, and global challenges.
Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.