Bill Clinton has said that he believes the first female president of the U.S. will be elected “soon” but suggested that it may be “easier” for her to be a Republican candidate.
In an interview with Tracy Smith on CBS Sunday Morning ahead of the launch of his book “Citizen,” the former president spoke candidly about his hopes for a Donald Trump “conversion” and the possibility of America electing a woman president.
When asked by Smith about whether America was “just not ready” to elect a female president, Clinton replied: “Maybe, I think in some ways, we’ve moved to the right. It’s a reaction to all the turmoil. I think if Hillary been nominated in 2008, she would have walked in, just like Obama did.”
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“I think all these cultural battles that we’re fighting make it harder in some ways for a woman to run,” he also said.
Smith replied, “So, you think it has more to do with party than gender?”
“No. Although I think it would probably be easier for a conservative Republican woman to win.”
“I mean, that’s what Maggie Thatcher did but I still think we’ll have a female president pretty soon,” he added.
In the exchange, Smith asked Clinton whether he believed the event would happen in his lifetime.
“Oh yeah. Well, I don’t know how long I’m gonna live. You’re asking' an old man that question!” he joked.
“I hope I’m around for the next time. But now it’s President Trump’s turn in the barrel. It depends on what he does and how it plays.”
Clinton also said he hoped Trump would change course in his approach to politics, with his cabinet appointments of the likes of Matt Gaetz and Pete Hegseth drawing criticism from those across the political spectrum.
“You know, somewhere along the way, [Trump will] have to think about whether, at this chapter of his life, he still thinks the most important thing is to have unquestionable domination, because that’s not what a democracy is about.”
Smith responded, “So you’re saying President Trump might have a change of heart?”
“He might. I was raised in the Baptist Church,” Clinton said. “I believe in deathbed conversions. I think you can’t give it up. But I think the rest of us just have to be diligent, watch the signs, and be willing to stand up for what we think is right, even if they take a piece out of our hide.”
In his new book, the former president praises Monica Lewinsky for speaking out about bullying.
“I wanted to be as helpful as I could to let her turn the page. I think she should be given a chance to build a life that is about her and the future, and not, you know, being whiplashed into an old story,” he explained in his interview with CBS.
