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Caroline Kennedy In 2020? Kennedy Could Be ‘Hillary Clinton Without The Baggage’

By Nathan Francis
Published on: 14:43 PST, Feb 19, 2017

Caroline Kennedy could have an inside track to a 2020 presidential run and the possibility of finishing the task that Hillary Clinton just couldn’t accomplish — knocking off Donald Trump and becoming the first woman to serve as president.

Kennedy served as U.S. ambassador to Japan for three years — the first woman ever to do so — before being abruptly removed from the position as Donald Trump was transitioning to president. Though she lost the prestigious post, some sources close to the former First Daughter said that Caroline Kennedy has aspirations of entering politics on a larger scale.

“Caroline had a successful ambassadorial run in Japan and feels really very confident about putting her hat in the ring for a New York congressional or Senate seat, with even possibly bigger political objectives down the road,” a source close to the family told the New York Post.

The source added that Caroline Kennedy “has the Kennedy name but no Clinton baggage,” making her the perfect candidate to run for president one day.

But there could be another step before running for president. Other sources said Caroline Kennedy may have her eye on a U.S. Senate seat from her home state of New York, just like her late uncle, Sen. Robert F. Kennedy. But that would mean running in a primary against the still very popular Kirsten Gillibrand, who is up for re-election in 2018.

Kennedy would bring quite the resume to either race. She was hailed for her work in improving relations between the United States and Japan, the New York Post noted, and she became something of a celebrity in the Asian nation.

She has also emerged as something of a gentle critic of Donald Trump, noting that he must be steadfast in building a cooperative relationship with Japan. She also stressed the importance of Trump’s meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe earlier in the month.

“I think [this meeting is] hugely important for both leaders,” Kennedy said on CBS This Morning before the meeting.

“Japan obviously depends on the U.S. both for its security and as its number one economic partner. For President Trump, it’s important to reaffirm that relationship as well as send a signal that the U.S. is going to remain engaged in Asia.”

There is another possible political outcome for Caroline Kennedy. Even if she chooses to sit out the 2018 Senate race in New York and the 2020 presidential race, there’s a chance she could end up serving the people of New York. Gillibrand has staked herself as one of the most vocal critics of President Trump, including voting against all of his cabinet picks. Some believe this puts the 50-year-old Senator among the short list for 2020 candidates.

Should Gillibrand make the move to the White House in 2020, it would leave an open Senate seat that would be filled by New York’s governor. Some insiders believe that could go to Caroline Kennedy — or possibly put her in competition with another Clinton.

“Gillibrand served in the House representing the Hudson Valley from 2007 until 2009, when she filled the seat of Hillary Clinton, who resigned to become secretary of state” the New York Daily News noted. “The feisty 50-year-old’s early opposition to President Trump already has Democrats buzzing that she’ll make a run for the White House in 2020. Should that happen, her successor would be picked by the governor, meaning neither Clinton nor Kennedy would even have to be elected.”

If Caroline Kennedy does decide to make a run for the presidency in 2020, she could have quite a battle. Though the earliest stages of the race are still close to two years away, there are already a number of major figures emerging including New Jersey Senator Cory Booker. With Donald Trump likely serving as an unpopular incumbent and no clear frontrunner from the Democratic Party to take him on, it’s expected to be a crowded field.

[Featured Image by Slaven Vlasic/Getty Images]

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