Former President Bill Clinton revealed his thoughts about a 2018 interview with Craig Melvin from NBC, in his memoir titled “Citizen.” He admitted his unpreparedness for the questions regarding his affair with Monica Lewinsky and described the interview as “not my finest hour.”
In 2018, an interview meant to promote a novel jointly written by Clinton and James Patterson, took an unexpected turn when Melvin brought up the #MeToo movement and its relevance to Clinton’s past. Melvin asked Clinton if he would have stepped down had the 1998 scandal happened today. Clinton maintained that he would not have resigned and expressed criticism towards the impeachment proceedings that followed the scandal.
Following this, Melvin referred to a column by Lewinsky where she talked about her changed views on sexual harassment in light of the #MeToo movement. When asked if this had affected his perspective, Clinton responded, “No, I felt terrible then.” Upon further questioning about whether he had apologized to Lewinsky, Clinton confirmed that he had apologized to her and everyone he had wronged, though he had not directly spoken to her. He added, “I did say publicly on more than [one] occasion I was sorry.”
During the course of the interview, Clinton seemed defensive and annoyed about his record on gender equality and suggested Melvin lacked a full understanding of the Lewinsky case. He insinuated that Melvin had missed important details and questioned his familiarity with the situation, pointing out that Melvin was very young when the events took place and may not have been properly briefed.
In his memoir “Citizen,” Clinton reflects on his response during the interview, conceding his unpreparedness for the question about his apology to Lewinsky. He advises that it is better to direct anger towards issues that affect others rather than oneself.
The memoir, released on November 19, 2024, explores Bill Clinton’s life post-presidency. The timing of its publication was set to follow the November 5 election, during which Clinton was a significant figure on the campaign trail.
Clinton’s reflections in the book provide readers with insight into his handling of the 2018 interview and questions about the Lewinsky scandal. The memoir offers an open account of his experiences and thoughts.
