Las Vegas Sun

June 16, 2024

Bill Clinton says ‘Today’ interview wasn’t his ‘finest hour’

Election 2016

Andrew Harnik / AP

Former President Bill Clinton listens as his wife, Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton speaks in New York, Wednesday, Nov. 9, 2016.

WASHINGTON — Former President Bill Clinton is acknowledging that his combative response earlier this week to questions about Monica Lewinsky wasn't his "finest hour."

Still, Clinton says, "It was very painful thing that happened 20 years ago," adding that he had to "live with the consequences every day since."

In an interview with NBC's "Today" released Monday, Clinton bristled at questions over whether he should have resigned 20 years ago because of his sexual relationship with the White House intern.

Clinton was asked Tuesday by the host of CBS' "Late Show," Stephen Colbert, if he realized why some people thought his response was "tone-deaf" in light of the MeToo movement.

The ex-president responded, "It wasn't my finest hour," adding, "I was mad at me — not for the first time."