secretary of awesome

Maybe Hillary Clinton Was Not Chased Out of Malawi by Killer Bees

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton speaks during a joint press conference with Brazilian Foreign Minister Antonio Patriota (out of frame) at Itamaraty palace in Brasilia, on April 16, 2012. Clinton is on a two-day visit to Brazil.
Photo: EVARISTO SA/2012 AFP

It’s humorous to imagine the wild obstacles Hillary Clinton must face while traversing the globe as secretary of State, but her journeys, like those of any adventurer, are subject to being stretched into big fish stories. Over the weekend, the press in Malawi reported that Clinton’s exit from the country devolved into “panic” as “bees winged across the airport.” According to one witness, “People could be seen running away to keep cover as the secretary of State swiftly boarded her plane to avoid any stings.” Not so, says novelist, occasional New York contributor, and Twitter god Ayelet Waldman, who was there.

Waldman took to Twitter today to refute the story and question the trustworthiness of the African media:

Here’s Clinton doing a little dance on her trip, no insects in sight:

Hillary Clinton Wasn’t Chased by Bees in Malawi