Secretary of State Hillary Clinton began her speech at the Time 100 Gala on Tuesday with a joke mocking recent speculation that she might run for president in 2016.
"Thank you and welcome to my announcement to run for president of Malta," Clinton said at the New York City event.
Clinton, who has received attention recently for displaying her humor and lighter side — she has participated in an Internet meme about herself and was seen dancing at a nightclub in Cartagena, Colombia — didn't disappoint during the event, where she delivered the keynote address.
"There’s a lot to be done tonight, but there’s not really a lot of room for more than one internet meme sensation, so I’m afraid that Tim Tebow and Jeremy Lin really take the cake here," Clinton said.
Clinton, along with Lin, Tebow and 97 other artists, politicians and business leaders, was chosen for
Time magazine's 2012
100 Most Influential People in the World list.
The secretary said the trick to getting on the list was to invite Time's managing editor, Rick Stengel, to travel around the globe with her, including to Libya after its uprising.
She even offered up some North Korea humor.
"There’s many [leaders] I haven’t had a chance to meet yet – I was sort of hoping Kim Jong un would show up. I don’t think he’s here but if you catch sight of him, let me know. We’re still trying to figure out what he’s all about," Clinton said.
As she pivoted to a serious discussion of foreign policy and the role of the United States around the world, Clinton said she was "personally pleased" by the number of "courageous women" that had made it on the list this year, including German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff and International Monetary Fund head Christine Lagarde.
She also praised the Obama administration's efforts at integrating diplomacy, development and defense in its foreign policy strategy during her speech.
"We have worked hard to restore America’s standing, especially by repairing alliances and deepening relationships, and paying a lot of attention to the so-called rising powers," she said.
Clinton, who said that when her term ends in January, she will have traveled a million miles to more than 100 nations, called on countries to do what "is right," despite the costs.
"As much as the world changes, this will always be true: sometimes nations must be willing to do what is right no matter the odds or the costs. We must be prepared to act strongly and decisively, with every tool and, even occasionally, weapon at our disposal," she said.
