Condoleezza Rice Issues Warning Over #MeToo Movement
Former U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice spoke on the positives of the #MeToo movement Saturday but also cautioned against the potential negatives that could arise from the recent trend.
Rice joined CNN’s David Axelrod on his show “The Axe Files,” where the two discussed the recent social media movement that has seen countless victims — particularly women — reveal stories of past domestic and sexual misconduct.
While Rice stated that the movement is “a good thing,” she also warned that people must “be a little bit careful” when responding to it.
“Let’s not turn women into snowflakes,” Rice said. “Let’s not infantilize women.”
The former secretary of state added that she doesn’t want society “to get to a place that men start to think, ‘Well maybe it’s just better not to have women around.’ I’ve heard a little bit of that. And it, it worries me.”
While the warning may be perceived by some to be insensitive, Rice made it known that her intent is not to “belittle” those who have used the movement to publicize their harrowing experiences.
As noted by CNN, Axelrod asked Rice, who was the first African-American woman to be named the secretary of state, if she had ever faced any acts of sexual misconduct while in office.
“Well I’ve certainly had people say inappropriate things,” Rice said.
“I’ve certainly had people suggest that maybe we should just go out — and you know — and situations in which it was somebody more senior than I,” she added.
However, Rice made clear that she “never had anyone do anything that I would consider assault.
“But I don’t know a woman alive who hasn’t had somebody say or do something that was inappropriate at best and aggressive at worst.”
The conversation then aptly turned to the recent speech given by famed television host Oprah Winfrey and the political rumors surrounding her after the speech, prompting Axelrod to ask Rice if she had any advice for Winfrey.
“I would say to Oprah, be sure that you really want to be a politician,” the former secretary of state said.
She added: “If you’re contemplating running for office, just recognize that we put people through a brutal process. And they don’t come out quite the same,”
As reported by The Western Journal, Winfrey has already been subject to the “brutal process” Rice was referencing, as actor James Woods tweeted multiple photos of Winfrey cozying up to disgraced film producer Harvey Weinstein.
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