Monica Lewinsky, a former White House intern, recently suggested that ex-President Bill Clinton should have stepped down from his role in the wake of their notorious affair over two decades ago. She disclosed her viewpoint on the “Call Her Daddy” podcast.
In her discussion with podcast presenter Alex Cooper, Lewinsky deliberated on how the political scandal should have been managed once it became public that she and Clinton were involved while serving in the White House.
Lewinsky proposed to Cooper that the appropriate response would have been to declare the affair a private matter and resign or “to find a way of staying in office that was not lying and not throwing a young person who is just starting out in the world under the bus.”
In recent times, Lewinsky has emerged as a vocal adversary of online harassment and public humiliation. She voiced concern regarding the scandal’s broader effects on women of her generation who saw her public denunciation.
“I think there was so much collateral damage for women of my generation to watch a young woman be pilloried on a world stage – to be torn apart for my sexuality, for my mistakes, for my everything,” she stated during the podcast.
The conversation was part of a promotional effort for Lewinsky’s podcast, “Reclaiming,” which she started hosting earlier this month. Among her guests so far are actress Olivia Munn and actor Alan Cumming.
Lewinsky has previously discussed the power dynamics in her relationship with Clinton. In 2021, she spoke to CNN’s Jake Tapper, characterizing Clinton’s behavior as “wholly inappropriate” considering their respective positions and age gap.
“I think what’s really important to remember in today’s world is that we never should have even gotten to a place where consent was a question,” Lewinsky said to Tapper. “So it was wholly inappropriate as the most powerful man, my boss, 49 years old. I was 22, literally just out of college. And I think that the power differentials there are something that I couldn’t ever fathom consequences at 22 that I understand obviously so differently at 48.”
The Clinton-Lewinsky scandal of the 1990s resulted in Clinton’s impeachment by the House of Representatives for perjury and obstruction of justice after he initially denied the relationship. However, the Senate subsequently acquitted him and finished his second term.
Throughout the scandal, Lewinsky endured harsh media criticism and public disgrace. Media outlets resorted to name-calling and even judged her physical appearance, creating a defamatory image of her. The aftermath of this treatment made it challenging for Lewinsky to secure employment, and she contemplated changing her identity due to the notoriety.
In recent years, the #MeToo movement has led to a reassessment of Lewinsky’s portrayal in the media and the power imbalance between her and Clinton. Several media personalities have expressed remorse for their treatment of Lewinsky during the scandal.
In a 2021 interview with Variety, Lewinsky expressed hope that young women in similar situations today would not face as severe judgment from the media and society. “I would hope that we would be having a different kind of conversation,” she said. “I would hope that most of the blame would not have rested on my shoulders and most of the consequences.”
Clinton has admitted the effect the scandal had on Lewinsky’s life. In the 2020 documentary “Hillary,” he stated that he felt “terrible about the fact that Monica Lewinsky’s life was defined” by their affair, “unfairly, I think.” He continued, “Over the years, I have watched her trying to get a normal life back again.”
Still, Clinton has previously stated that he “disagreed” with the idea that he should have resigned because of the affair.
Lewinsky’s transformation from a much-maligned figure in the media to a respected voice on consent, power dynamics, and public humiliation reflects broader societal shifts in how such situations are comprehended and discussed.
Alex Cooper, the host of “Call Her Daddy,” is reportedly the most listened-to female podcaster worldwide. Last year, she signed a $125 million agreement with SiriusXM for her podcast, which discusses sex, relationships, and pop culture.
