Bill Clinton explains why he never apologized to Monica Lewinsky. Oh. Kay.
Former President Bill Clinton has a special gift for making headlines on days we really, really don't need them.
On Monday, for example, Clinton appeared on the Today Show for what should've been a completely unmemorable interview about his upcoming novel, The President Is Missing. Instead, the conversation turned to the #MeToo movement, prompting Clinton to anxiously defend both his record and his unwillingness to personally apologize to Monica Lewinsky.
Clinton wasn't particularly interested in re-litigating the facts of the face.
“You, typically, have ignored gaping facts in describing this and I bet you don’t even know them,” an exasperated Clinton told host Craig Melvin. “This was litigated 20 years ago. Two-thirds of the American people sided with me.”
At the time, he didn't a think a personal apology to Lewinsky was necessary:
"I have never talked to her, but I did say publicly on more than one occasion that I was sorry. That’s very different. The apology was public.”
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The former president also defended his record on women, "I had a sexual harassment policy when I was governor in the ’80s. I had two women chiefs of staff when I was governor. Women were over-represented in the attorney general’s office in the ’70s. I’ve had nothing but women leaders in my office since I left."
Clinton also challenged the interviewer by asking him whether he thought past presidents, including Kennedy and LBJ, should have also been removed from office for having extramarital affairs.
"I dealt with it 20 years ago plus and the American people, two-thirds of them stayed with me. And I’ve tried to do a good job since then with my life and with my work."
Nineteen women, meanwhile, have accused President Trump of sexual assault. Trump sort of apologized for bragging about grabbing women by their private parts, then claimed that the Access Hollywood tape wasn't real. And, while Clinton stuck through his impeachment hearings, it appears that Trump's legal team is thinking of shutting down the entire special counsel investigation/having Trump pardon himself.
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Let the future be female ... please.
Topics Politics
Heather was the Web Trends reporter at Mashable NYC. Prior to joining Mashable, Heather wrote regularly for UPROXX and GOOD Magazine, was published in The Daily Dot and VICE, and had her work featured in Entertainment Weekly, Jezebel, Mic, and Gawker. She loves small terrible dogs and responsible driving. Follow her on Twitter @wear_a_helmet.