Hillary Clinton Backs Out of Fortune Event Co-Starring Kirstjen Nielsen

In a few days, Kirstjen Nielsen, the former secretary of homeland security best known for separating migrant children from their families and detaining them in inhumane conditions, is scheduled to speak at Fortune’s Most Powerful Women Summit in Washington.

Hillary Clinton was set to speak at the summit, too. On Friday, however, she removed herself from the event, citing a scheduling conflict.

But a person close to Clinton’s decision-making process told Slate that she had decided to drop out after hearing that Nielsen was also on the docket. “We work with a lot of activists who are trying to do their best to improve this horrible situation down at the border,” the person said, citing Clinton’s support of RAICES and other organizations that advocate for asylees and immigrants. “At the end of the day, it’s an easy decision. You have to side with them.”

The person said one of those activists alerted Clinton to Nielsen’s slot on the schedule earlier this week, after which Clinton’s team notified Fortune that she would no longer be attending the event. Friday evening, Clinton’s name and headshot were removed from the summit’s website.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/slate.com/news-and-politics/2019/10/hillary-clinton-fortune-summit-kirstjen-nielsen.amp