Huma Abedin on bid for political office: ‘I’m not saying no to anything’

Huma Abedin, a longtime aide to Hillary Clinton and the estranged wife of former Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-N.Y.), is not ruling out a potential bid for political office one day, declaring in an interview: “I’m not saying no to anything.”

When asked on NBC’s “Today” if she would ever run for office, Abedin cited television producer Shonda Rhimes, telling host Savannah Guthrie, “This is my year of saying yes. I’m not saying no to anything.”

Pressed on if that means she will mount a political campaign one day, Abedin said “Well, that was ‘I don’t know.’”

You think you’ll run for office one of these days? –@SavannahGuthrie

I am copying Shonda Rhimes. This is my year of saying yes. I’m not saying no to anything. -Huma Abedin

That was yes? -Guthrie

Well, that was I don’t know. -Abedin pic.twitter.com/knLkgrDbxi

— TODAY (@TODAYshow) November 1, 2021

Asked about what she sees for her future generally, Abedin — whose new book “Both/And: A Life in Many Worlds” is out on Tuesday — told Guthrie she is in “a whole new chapter” by writing and now promoting her book.

“I am doing the thing with you, Savannah, that for my entire adult life I was terrified of, which is putting myself out there and being in public and so I’m really looking forward to my next chapter,” she said.

Abedin has worked for Clinton for 25 years, beginning her career in Washington as a White House intern in the first lady’s office, then traveling with her from the Senate to the State Department and on the campaign trail.

She has remained behind the scenes during her time in politics, though she has stayed connected with Clinton. Now, however, the longtime aide is not ruling out a bid of her own.

Abedin’s book is already making headlines. An excerpt published by The Guardian last week detailed a mid-2000s incident when Abedin said an unidentified U.S. senator forcibly tried to kiss her.

She told Norah O’Donnell during an interview that aired on “CBS Sunday Morning” this weekend that her anger toward Weiner “almost killed” her.

Abedin remained alongside Weiner through a number of scandals. He resigned from Congress in 2011 after confessing to sending sexually explicit inappropriate photos of himself to a number of women.

Weiner was caught sending photos again in 2013. Abedin finally separated from him in 2016, when the FBI found some of the Clinton aide’s emails on Weiner’s laptop, which caused then-FBI Director James Comey to reopen the investigation into Clinton’s emails eleven days before the 2020 presidential election.

The reopening of the investigation has been credited by many, including Clinton, as solidifying her loss to then-Republican nominee Donald Trump in the race.

Abedin told Guthrie that she “lived with a tremendous amount of guilt” after the investigation was reopened and Clinton lost the election, adding that she will “carry that to my grave.”