Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich has admitted that pursuing the impeachment of President Bill Clinton over his affair with Monica Lewinsky was “a mistake,” saying the focus on the s*x scandal trivialized the proceedings.
Reflection on the Impeachment
Gingrich, a Republican from Georgia, had led efforts in 1998 to impeach Clinton on charges of lying under oath and obstruction of justice. In a recent interview on Pod Force One, he said the real issue was Clinton’s perjury in a s**ual harassment case, not his relationship with Lewinsky.
“I think it was a mistake because the real problem wasn’t Lewinsky,” Gingrich said. “The real problem was that he had committed perjury in a case involving s**ual harassment while he was governor. In fact, he was stripped of his law license in Arkansas after he left the presidency, and for five years couldn’t practice because he clearly committed a felony.”
Background of the Investigation
The impeachment stemmed from the broader Whitewater investigation, led by Independent Attorney Ken Starr, appointed by then-Attorney General Janet Reno. Starr’s inquiry began as a probe into a failed real estate investment by the Clintons’ company and later expanded to include Paula Jones’ s**ual harassment lawsuit and Clinton’s affair with Lewinsky.
Clinton’s denial under oath of the affair ultimately led to charges of perjury, sparking House Republicans to pursue impeachment. Clinton became only the second U.S. president at the time to face such proceedings.
Gingrich’s Personal Reflection
Gingrich explained that the media and political focus on the s**ual aspect of the scandal took attention away from Clinton’s felony-level misconduct. He recalled a moment in August 1998, when his daughters told him the public would be upset over financial losses rather than an intern affair, prompting him to realize the cultural misalignment in how the issue was being presented.
“I realized at that point I had completely misunderstood how the culture was evolving,” Gingrich said. He also criticized Clinton for using legal and semantic arguments to shift the focus of the trial.
Aftermath and Political Consequences
Clinton was ultimately acquitted by the Senate, though a judge had held him in civil contempt for misleading testimony in the Jones lawsuit, resulting in a five-year suspension of his law license. Gingrich noted that one political outcome of the impeachment saga was that Al Gore distanced himself from Clinton during the 2000 presidential campaign.
“[Clinton] actually left office at the high point of his popularity,” Gingrich said. “I think Gore was actually offended by the whole saga; if Gore had campaigned more with him, he might have beaten George W. [Bush]. But he consciously wanted to be a step away from Clinton.”
Clinton in the News Again
Gingrich’s remarks come as Clinton has again appeared in the news, being named multiple times in the recently released Jeffrey Epstein files, linking him to ongoing scrutiny surrounding Epstein’s criminal network.
