Even all these years later, Monica Lewinsky is still tied to the Clinton family. Her affair with former President Bill Clinton was a major scandal that hit the nation and became unavoidable. Unfortunately, Clinton’s family members were dragged into the drama, especially his daughter, Chelsea Clinton, who had the perfect clapback when asked about it.
It all started in 1995 when Lewinsky took on an internship at the White House. It wasn’t long after that she began her romance with the then-president. The two engaged in this secret tryst for two years before calling it quits in 1997. Although they hoped their relationship would stay in the shadows, their affair eventually came to light, and what followed was nothing but drama. Being his daughter, Chelsea found herself in the mix of all the attention.
Not long after the news broke, Hillary Clinton gave an update on the “Today” show on how her daughter was handling the news, revealing, “She’s all right.” Chelsea may have been putting on a brave face at the start, but the reality is that it took a toll on the public figure. According to the New York Post, a White House aide revealed how Chelsea was really feeling, sharing, “There was a terrible sense of betrayal.” Chelsea and Bill were able to rebuild their relationship, but it wasn’t easy, and the topic of Lewinsky continued to be brought up. At one point, Chelsea let everyone know she was tired of the topic, telling a rally-goer that it was none of their business.
Chelsea Clinton defended her mom in fiery response
Chelsea Clinton had reached her limit when it came to the Monica Lewinsky scandal. Everywhere she went, the public figure was constantly bombarded with questions about how her father, Bill Clinton, was caught cheating with Lewinsky. Even as she campaigned for her mom, Hillary Clinton, in 2008, she was still asked about the affair. During a campaign stop, a clip showed someone questioning whether Hillary’s credibility was shot following the Lewinsky scandal. Chelsea was unhappy about the query, responding with, “Wow, you’re the first person that’s ever asked me that question … in the maybe 70 college campuses that I’ve been to. And I don’t think that is any of your business.” Chelsea was a bit sassy with her response, but proved she’s not one to mess with when it comes to her mom and the affair.
Still, the student who asked the bold question saw Chelsea’s dismissal as more of a missed opportunity during Hillary’s campaign. Evan Strange told CBS News’ “The Early Show,” “It’s not something I asked to cause trouble but to show those people what makes Hillary so strong.” Strange could see why Chelsea would be turned off by the question but felt she could have turned it around to show Hillary’s resilience. He said, “I would like to hear her say something about Hillary rather than dismissing the question.” However, Chelsea wasn’t in the mood for it, but this certainly wouldn’t be the last time she would hear Lewinsky’s name.
The Monica Lewinsky affair will always be a hot topic
Chelsea Clinton is not one to rehash the past, especially when it comes to her father’s affair with Monica Lewinsky. The public figure does her best to put that scandal behind her, but every now and then, it resurfaces. When her mother, Hillary Clinton, was running against Donald Trump in the 2016 presidential election, the businessman threatened to throw digs and bring up the affair between Bill Clinton and Lewinsky. He said during the first debate, “I was going to say something extremely rough to Hillary, her family, and I said to myself, ‘I can’t do it. I just can’t do it.'” Although he didn’t explicitly mention the affair, Trump later confirmed that was what he was referring to.
As much as she tried to dodge the scandal, Chelsea couldn’t avoid it this time around. She told Cosmopolitan that she saw Trump’s threat as nothing but a deflection. She said, “Well, my reaction to that is just what my reaction has been kind of every time Trump has gone after my mom or my family, which is that it’s a distraction from his inability to talk about what’s actually at stake in this election.” No matter how hard Chelsea may try to forget about her father’s affair, it’s constantly being brought back to light as it’s something the public will never forget.
