Bill Clinton should have resigned following Monica Lewinsky’s affair, citing the power imbalance that allowed her to be “thrown under the bus” during the national scandal. She acknowledged that the relationship was consensual but emphasized Clinton’s responsibility given his position as the most powerful person in the world. She highlighted the negative impact on women of her generation who witnessed her being pilloried on a global scale. Despite the challenges, Lewinsky expressed gratitude for positive changes in her life over the last decade.
Presidential Accountability and Power Dynamics
Monica Lewinsky recently addressed the decades-old scandal that defined her public image, stating that former President Bill Clinton should have resigned when Congress voted to impeach him for lying about their affair. Speaking on the ‘Call Her Daddy’ podcast, Lewinsky suggested Clinton had better options than denial and deception that ultimately damaged her reputation and career trajectory. Her comments reflect a more mature perspective on the notorious 1990s scandal that continues to resonate in American political culture.
Lewinsky articulated a nuanced understanding of the situation’s complexity, acknowledging the immense power differential between a White House intern and the President of the United States. While admitting her own mistakes in the relationship, she emphasized that Clinton’s position placed greater responsibility on him to avoid putting a young subordinate in such a compromising position. This perspective challenges the narrative that equally distributed blame between the two parties involved in the scandal.
Blast from the past: Monica Lewinsky says Bill Clinton should have resigned instead of 'throwing a young person under the bus'
But he clearly said he had 'no sexual relations with that woman?' pic.twitter.com/r07AC3jQQU
— Judy HS (@JudyHS13) February 27, 2025
The Impact of Presidential Deception
Clinton’s infamous denial of the affair—”I did not have sexual relations with that woman, Miss Lewinsky”—set off a chain of events that led to his impeachment by the House of Representatives, though he was later acquitted by the Senate. Lewinsky characterized this denial as “gaslighting on a grand scale,” highlighting how Clinton’s attempts to preserve his presidency came at the expense of a 22-year-old woman just beginning her career. His decision to fight rather than resign ultimately shaped both their legacies in profoundly different ways.
“I think that the right way to handle a situation like that would have been to probably say it was nobody’s business and to resign. Or to find a way of staying in office that was not lying and not throwing a young person who was just starting out in the world under the bus.” – Monica Lewinsky
Lewinsky suggested two alternative paths Clinton could have taken: either resigning from office honorably or finding a way to remain president without lying under oath and destroying her reputation in the process. Instead, his choice to deny the relationship sparked a media frenzy that subjected Lewinsky to unprecedented public scrutiny and ridicule. The subsequent investigation by Independent Counsel Kenneth Starr produced the infamous Starr Report, which contained explicit details that became fodder for late-night comedians and public discourse.
"Monica Lewinsky Says Bill Clinton Should've Resigned After Affair, Felt She Was 'Gaslit' By White House"
She was paid by the RNC to seduce him and had an apartment beside Bob Dole at Watergate. Not sure why she has an opinion. https://t.co/QfgqCmu8L1
— Irish Whiskey 🥃 (@IrishWhiskeyKy) February 26, 2025
Generational Impact and Personal Recovery
Beyond her personal experience, Lewinsky expressed concern about the broader social ramifications of how she was treated during the scandal. She pointed to the “collateral damage” inflicted on women of her generation who witnessed her public shaming. The spectacle of a young woman being “pilloried on a world stage” and “torn apart” for her sexuality and mistakes sent a powerful message about the consequences women might face when involved in scandals with powerful men.
“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.” – Monica Lewinsky
Despite the enduring hardships resulting from the scandal, Lewinsky expressed gratitude for positive developments in her life over the past decade. After years of relative seclusion, she has emerged as an anti-bullying advocate, public speaker, and producer. Her willingness to revisit and recontextualize the scandal reflects both personal growth and changing societal attitudes toward power imbalances and accountability in the wake of movements like #MeToo, which have encouraged reexamination of historical scandals through contemporary ethical frameworks.