Monica Lewinsky Says Bill Clinton Should Have Resigned Over Their Affair

Monica Lewinsky, the former White House intern at the center of one of the most notorious political scandals in U.S. history, has stated that former President Bill Clinton should have resigned when Congress impeached him for lying about their affair.

Speaking on the Call Her Daddy podcast, Lewinsky explained that instead of staying in office and “throwing [her] under the bus,” Clinton should have either stepped down or handled the situation differently when their relationship became public in 1998.

“The right way to deal with something like that would have been to say it was nobody’s business and resign,” Lewinsky said. “Or to find a way to remain in office without lying and without sacrificing a young woman just starting out in the world.”

Acknowledging the power dynamics at play, she added, “At the same time, we’re talking about the most powerful office in the world. I don’t want to be naive either.”

Her comments came in response to host Alex Cooper’s question about how the press and the White House should have handled the scandal at the time. Lewinsky noted that the situation was “complicated” because so many people were affected.

While admitting she had made mistakes, she called Clinton’s actions “more reprehensible.” She clarified that their relationship was not sexual assault as it was consensual but emphasized that it was Clinton’s responsibility, as the president, to never put her in that position.

Clinton, who was 49 at the time, initially denied the affair but later admitted to it and remained in office. His denial, Lewinsky said, felt like “gaslighting on a grand scale.”

She also reflected on the lasting impact the scandal had on her life. “There was so much collateral damage. Women of my generation watched as a young woman was torn apart on a global stage—for her sexuality, for her mistakes, for everything,” she said.

“I was lucky enough to hold onto a strand of my true self, but I lost my future,” Lewinsky admitted. “I’m incredibly grateful for how my life has changed in the last 10 years, but that wasn’t a given.”