Hillary Clinton's SHOCK Warning: Will the US Rule of Law Survive?!

DOHA – Speaking at the Doha Forum 2025 in Qatar, former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton didn't mince words. In a conversation with *Foreign Policy*'s editor-in-chief, Ravi Agrawal, Clinton issued a stark warning about the declining adherence to international laws and norms, pointing a finger, perhaps unsurprisingly, at the United States itself, specifically during the Trump administration.

Hillary Clinton's SHOCK Warning: Will the US Rule ...

Clinton framed her concerns within the context of a carefully constructed global order established after World War II. "When you talk about how the rule of law, how the expectations of militaries in combat are supposed to be judged, all of that was an effort to try to construct a system that could rein in bad leaders," she explained. And, honestly, it's hard to disagree with that sentiment. The post-war world order, for all its flaws, at least attempted to create some guardrails.

Her argument is that abandoning these hard-won principles opens the door for those who seek unchecked power. "So I really believe it's a mistake for the United States not to be upholding all of those rules," she stated plainly. The implication, of course, is that a retreat from that position by the U.S. would have significant, and negative, consequences. "The world will be much worse off if the United States retreats from that position." It's a pretty blunt assessment, but one that resonated with many in attendance, from what I could gather.

The prospect of a second Trump term seemed to weigh heavily on Clinton's mind. She highlighted the shift away from traditional alliances under his previous administration as a cause for serious concern. This pivot away from long-standing partnerships is something I've personally observed causing unease among many of our allies, leaving them questioning the reliability of U.S. commitments.

Beyond the broad geopolitical concerns, Clinton, a long-time champion of women's rights, also revisited her pivotal role at the 1995 United Nations World Conference on Women in Beijing. It was there, remember, that she famously declared, "women's rights are human rights," a phrase that resonated globally and continues to inspire. The Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, adopted by 189 countries, committed to equal treatment for women – a goal that, sadly, still feels somewhat distant in many parts of the world.

Clinton emphasized the vulnerability of women in times of societal upheaval, stating that they are often the first to be targeted. "Because they're more vulnerable and they can be pointed to as the problems in society or because of what women are doing or failing to do,” she said. The former First Lady has been saying this for years and I'm struck at how prescient she has remained on this point.

Despite the challenges, Clinton struck a note of optimism, suggesting that regressive attitudes towards women are becoming increasingly outdated. "I still believe that women's rights are human rights and that women's equality is the unfinished business of the 21st century and every nation will do better.” It's a hopeful sentiment, and one that requires continued vigilance and action from all of us.