Susan Elizabeth Rice (born November 17, 1964) is an American public official who served as the 24th U.S. National Security Advisor from 2013 to 2017. Rice was on the staff of the National Security Council and was the Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs during President Bill Clinton's second term. A Brookings Institution fellow, she served as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations from 2009 to 2013. The U.S. Senate confirmed her as ambassador by unanimous consent on January 22, 2009.
Mentioned as a possible replacement for retiring U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in 2012,[1][2] Rice withdrew from consideration following controversy related to the 2012 attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, saying that if she were nominated, "the confirmation process would be lengthy, disruptive, and costly."[3] She succeeded Tom Donilon as National Security Advisor on July 1, 2013.
