Monica Lewinsky speaks out on Bill Clinton affair: Why she believes then-US President should have resigned over their scandal

Monica Lewinsky, who became a household name after her affair with former US President Bill Clinton was exposed in the 1990s, recently reflected on the scandal.

Speaking on the Call Her Daddy podcast, she stated that Clinton should have resigned amid the backlash and shared her thoughts on how he should have handled the controversy.

Lewinsky said the right course of action would have been for Clinton to resign and make it clear that the affair was “nobody's business.” Alternatively, he could have sought a way to continue his presidency without “throwing a young person under the bus.”


Podcast host Alex Cooper agreed with her, saying that was exactly how it should have been handled.

Lewinsky, who initially faced intense media scrutiny and public shaming, also pointed out that sympathy towards her had grown in recent decades. She attributed this shift to younger generations who did not live through the media storm at the time, according to USA Today.

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Monica Lewinsky recalls damage to her reputation

Lewinsky, who started as a White House intern, was 22 when she and Clinton, who was 49 at the time, began a relationship in 1995. She also revealed that it took her nearly a decade to fully grasp the extent of the damage to her reputation, saying she struggled to find a job after completing her studies.

How Bill Clinton avoided impeachment

Clinton avoided removal from office when the Senate acquitted him after a 21-day trial, despite the House of Representatives voting to impeach him over the scandal.

Now, an anti-bullying advocate, Lewinsky also told Cooper that some people involved in the controversy had later expressed regret over their choices. But she stated that no apology ever came from any of the major figures.

In a recent episode of her own podcast, Reclaiming, she reflected on the personal toll of the scandal, stating that she lost her anonymity, her future and sense of self. “I think I lost trust in myself in many ways,” she said.

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FAQs

1. What was the Monica Lewinsky-Bill Clinton scandal?
In 1995, then-US President Bill Clinton and Monica Lewinsky, a White House intern at the time, began a relationship that reportedly lasted 18 months.


2. Why was Bill Clinton not impeached over the scandal?
Although the House of Representatives voted in favour of impeachment, Clinton remained in office after the Senate acquitted him following a 21-day trial.