“If one person can help NATO recover from the PTSD syndrome from Trump, it’s her,” Ms. Domenach said. “She is the right person, long awaited, coming at time of crisis, which is so hard, but she is empowered.”
Ms. Smith is already making progress towards better consultation with allies which is the key to U.S. leadership of the alliance, Ms. Domenach explained.
“She represents the enduring commitment of Washington to NATO and to the principles of an alliance, however difficult that is,” Ms. Domenach said. “The moment is very challenging, and it’s not an easy thing to show the right balance of leadership and consultation, and she has both.”
The move to Brussels took a lot of planning, Ms. Smith explained. She lives with her husband David Black, their two sons Liam, 11 and Dylan, 7, as well as Scout, the dog.
Covid intervened after her confirmation. It was already strange, she said, that she could work from home but not be able to travel.
“I would literally be speaking to Joe Biden and my son’s, like, walking behind me. I mean, it was a very weird world, particularly as working parents, just weird things would happen.”
And then, she said, there was “the delight that is moving a family during the Christmas holiday.” She grew up in Michigan and wanted to say goodbye to her family — parents, sister, nephews, cousins, aunts and uncles. They flew to Michigan and Garlin Gilchrist II, lieutenant governor of Michigan, swear her in before the family.
Source: NY Times
