Monica Lewinsky has recently expressed her belief that former President Bill Clinton should have resigned after their affair came to light. Her comments reignite discussions about accountability in politics, especially regarding how powerful figures handle personal indiscretions when they affect others. In what ways has the public perception of Lewinsky shifted over the past two decades?
Lewinsky Calls for Presidential Accountability
Monica Lewinsky recently stated 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 alternatives that wouldn’t have damaged her reputation so severely.
“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,” Lewinsky said in the interview.
Well look at that Monica Lewinsky says Bill Clinton should have resigned or at least not lied and thrown her under the bus.
This is the way of Democrats from Bill Clinton to Joe Biden. Lie and don't take responsibility. IT DOESN'T MATTER WHO GETS HURT.
They are all the same. pic.twitter.com/c5XYxSXAuP
— DogFacePonia (@DogFacePonia) February 27, 2025
Power Dynamics and Personal Impact
Lewinsky acknowledged the complexity of the situation, recognizing the significant power imbalance between herself and the President of the United States. While maintaining their relationship was consensual, she emphasized Clinton’s responsibility to avoid putting her in such a compromising position, given his authority and influence.
She described Clinton’s initial denial of their relationship as “gaslighting on a grand scale.” Clinton’s public rejection of the allegations before later admitting to the affair compounded the humiliation Lewinsky faced in the global spotlight.
Monica Lewinsky just can't let the Bill Clinton ordeal go…. that was well over 30 years ago. Let it go! pic.twitter.com/J3HKI3bhlv
— X 🇵🇸 (@realXanderXjork) February 26, 2025
Societal Repercussions and Personal Growth
Lewinsky highlighted the broader impact the scandal had on women of her generation who witnessed her public humiliation. “I think there was so much collateral damage for women of my generation to watch a young woman to be pilloried on a world stage—to be torn apart for my sexuality, for my mistakes, for my everything,” she reflected.
Despite the challenges and losses she faced, Lewinsky expressed gratitude for positive developments in her life over the past decade. Her willingness to revisit this chapter publicly demonstrates her ongoing journey to reclaim her narrative after being defined by the scandal for much of her adult life.