Former President Bill Clinton offered the "TODAY Show" his most candid interview about Monica Lewinsky to date this week. The conversation would have made headlines regardless, but it was especially intriguing to hear Clinton reflect on his White House scandal now, in the age of the "Me Too" movement.
In his joint interview with author James Patterson to promote their new book, "The President Is Missing," Clinton said he would not have done anything differently if he could have a second chance to respond to his indiscretions with his former intern. He certainly does not owe Lewinsky a personal apology because he already gave her and "everybody in the world" a public one, he said.
“But you didn’t apologize to her [Lewinsky]?” -@craigmelvin
— TODAY (@TODAYshow) June 4, 2018
“I have not talked to her.” –Bill Clinton
“Do you feel that you owe her an apology?” –Melvin
“No. I have never talked to her, but I did say publicly on more than one occasion that I was sorry.” -Clinton pic.twitter.com/dVAb0OycIa
"No, I do not - I have never talked to her," Clinton told NBC's Craig Melvin. "But I did say publicly on more than one occasion that I was sorry. That's very different. The apology was public."
Clinton also defended his decision to remain in office instead of resign after the scandal broke in 1998. He was eventually impeached.
"I think I did the right thing," he said. "I defended the Constitution."
Clinton was adamant that the media blew the story out of proportion.
"A lot of the facts have been conveniently omitted to make the story work, I think partly because they're frustrated that they got all these serious allegations against the current occupant of the Oval Office and his voters don't seem to care," he added in defense.
The 42nd president wondered why Trump was not getting the same treatment he did. Trump, he said, "hasn't gotten anything like the coverage that you would expect."
President Clinton was not only impeached for having an affair with Lewinsky, but because he lied about it.