Bill Clinton: I did the right thing in not resigning after the Lewinsky scandal

■ Ex- US Prez says he defended the Constitution by not resigning after the Lewinsky scandal

Washington: Former US president Bill Clinton said he has not spoken to Monica Lewinsky since the revelation of their affair and that while he has apologised to her publicly he does not think a private apology is necessary at this point.

In a testy interview with NBC’s Today show aired on Monday, the 71- year- old Clinton was also asked for his thoughts on the # MeToo movement.

The 42nd US president is on a book tour to promote a new thriller, The President Is Missing, co- written with best- selling author James Patterson.

But it’s his time in the Oval Office — specifically his affair with Lewinsky — that is drawing scrutiny.

“I apologised to everybody in the world,” Clinton said when asked if he had apologised to Lewinsky for his affair with the then 22year- old White House intern.

“I have not talked to her,” Clinton said. “I have never talked to her.”

Asked if he felt he should apologise privately to Lewinsky, Clinton said “No, I do not.”

“But I did say publicly on more than one occasion that I was sorry,” he said. “That’s very different. The apology was public.”

Asked about the # MeToo movement of women denouncing sexual abuse or harassment by powerful men in show business, politics and the media, Clinton said, “I like the # MeToo movement.

“It’s way overdue,” he said. “It doesn’t mean I agree with everything.

“I still have some questions about some of the decisions which have been made,” he said without elaborating.

Asked whether in light of # MeToo he should have resigned instead of fighting impeachment, Clinton said: “I think I did the right thing. I defended the Constitution.

“This was litigated 20 years ago,” he said. “Twothirds of the American people sided with me. “I’ve tried to do a good job since then with my life and with my work,” he said.

“And nobody believes that I got out of that for free,” Clinton added. “I left the White House $ 16 million in debt.”

Clinton also said the press has “conveniently omitted” a number of facts regarding the Lewinsky

affair “to make the story work.” “Partly cause they’re frustrated because they’ve got all these serious allegations against the current occupant of the Oval Office and his voters

don’t seem to care,” he said. Asked if President Donald Trump has been “given a pass” regarding claims of sexual harassment made against him, Clinton said, “No, but it hasn’t gotten anything like the coverage that you would expect.” Lewinsky said in February Vanity Fair that she had been reexamining her affair with Clinton.

I have not talked to her, I have never talked to her. I did say publicly on more than one occasion that I was sorry. The apology was public — Bill Clinton, Former US Prez