‘The View’ hosts say Monica Lewinsky was mistreated by media on 27th anniversary of Bill Clinton scandal

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: More than two decades after the affair that shook the White House and led to the impeachment of president Bill Clinton, Monica Lewinsky remains a symbol of a cultural reckoning.

Now, on the 27th anniversary of the Clinton-Lewinsky scandal, 'The View' hosts debated how the media and society treated Lewinsky at the time and how perspectives have shifted in the wake of movements like #MeToo.

Monica Lewinsky’s podcast sparks debate on power dynamics and media scrutiny

The discussion, sparked by Monica Lewinsky’s recent interview on the 'Call Her Daddy' podcast, brought attention to the power dynamics at play in her relationship with Bill Clinton and the long-term consequences she faced.

Co-host Alyssa Farah Griffin recalled the media’s relentless focus on Lewinsky, often attacking her appearance and weight rather than questioning the man in power.

"I remember the headlines," she said, continuing, "It was criticizing her looks, her weight. ‘The Lewinsky scandal', not the man who is the person in a much greater position of power that also engaged in the affair."

Farah Griffin argued that Clinton should have borne "way more responsibility" than he did, pointing out that cultural attitudes have shifted to better recognize the imbalance of power in such situations.

Monica Lewinsky still 'defined' by the scandal decades later

Sunny Hostin echoed Alyssa Farah Griffin's sentiment, emphasizing how, even nearly 30 years later, Monica Lewinsky’s name is still linked to the scandal, preventing her from moving on.

"This is a woman who, 30 years later, is still somewhat defined by this," Hostin said, criticizing how cancel culture has kept Lewinsky from fully reclaiming her identity.

Sara Haines added that the media’s portrayal of Lewinsky had lasting consequences on her personal life.

"This isn’t all on President Clinton, but President Clinton, between the two of them, went unscathed," she said. "He continued to have a life. He was able to restore his marriage, his family, all that mattered to him," she added.

Haines further pointed out that the moral outrage of the time was unfairly directed at Lewinsky and said, "Watching how Lewinsky was torn apart by the morality police of the times… It all fell on her and the media was a reflection of what society was okay with."

Joy Behar pushes back on the Lewinsky scandal 

While the panel largely sympathized with Monica Lewinsky, Joy Behar offered a different perspective.

She acknowledged that times have changed but argued that Lewinsky, who was 22 when the affair began, was old enough to take some responsibility.

"When I was 22, I was married," Behar said and added, "Twenty-two is not a baby."

Her comment suggested that while the power dynamics were problematic, Monica Lewinsky was not entirely without agency in the situation.

In her recent 'Call Her Daddy' interview, Lewinsky addressed how she wished the situation had been handled differently.

"I think that the right way to handle a situation like that would have been to probably say it was nobody’s business and to resign," she told host Alex Cooper.

"Or to find a way of staying in office that was not lying and not throwing a young person who is just starting out in the world under the bus," she suggested.

Despite acknowledging Clinton’s greater wrongdoing, Lewinsky admitted to her own missteps.

"Let's recognize that while there were so many ways that Bill's behavior was more reprehensible than mine, I did make mistakes," she said.

The Clinton-Lewinsky scandal that shook the White House

The Clinton-Lewinsky scandal was a significant political controversy in the late 1990s when Lewinsky was a 22-year-old White House intern.

Between 1995 and 1997, they engaged in a series of intimate encounters in the Oval Office.

The affair came to light in January 1998 when news broke that Clinton had engaged in a relationship with Lewinsky.

This revelation had serious legal implications, as Clinton had previously denied the relationship under oath during a deposition related to another lawsuit.

The scandal led to an investigation by Independent Counsel Kenneth Starr, culminating in Clinton's impeachment by the House of Representatives on charges of perjury and obstruction of justice.

However, he was acquitted by the Senate and completed his term in office.

Now an anti-bullying activist, Lewinsky reflects on how the scandal affected her career and life, describing the loss of her future.

She has become an advocate against online bullying, gave a notable TED Talk in 2015, and worked on the show 'American Crime Story: Impeachment', as per The US Sun.

Reportedly, despite Clinton acknowledging his mistakes in the Hulu documentary 'Hillary', he has yet to publicly apologize to Lewinsky