The Trump Presidency: Through the Eyes of Monica Lewinsky
On January 21, 1998, the biggest scandal of the decade broke news. Allegations of sexual conduct between intern Monica Lewinsky and then President Bill Clinton destroyed her reputation while barely scratching his. In fact, Clinton’s approval ratings reached its highest point at 73% after his impeachment proceedings, and he finished his second term at a strong 66%.
For Monica Lewinsky, the story followed her for decades. She writes, “In 1998, … I was arguably the most humiliated person in the world. Thanks to the Drudge Report, I was also possibly the first person whose global humiliation was driven by the Internet.” From the betrayal of her confidant Linda Tripp, to the explicit details of sexual conduct listed in the Starr Report, to the trial where she was made to submit her dress with Clinton’s bodily fluids stained on it, to an interview for an 2001 HBO documentary where she was asked how it felt “to be America’s premier blow-job queen,” to the years after where she faced armies of faceless bullies and harassers on the Internet, Monica Lewinsky has paid more than her share of consequences. It’s not hard to imagine how incredibly frustrating and unfair the entirety of the Trump presidency is in comparison.
President Donald J. Trump is no stranger to sexual assault allegations. Twenty-five women have accused Trump of sexual misconduct to date, including Ivana Trump, President Trump’s ex-wife, who accused Trump of raping her in a fit of rage after tearing her clothes and hair. Mariah Billado, Victoria Hughes, Tasha Dixon, and Bridget Sullivan all came forward with claims that Trump had walked into Miss Teen USA dressing rooms while they were changing. E. Jean Carroll accused Trump of sexually assaulting her in a department store dressing room. Trump has not yet faced any repercussions or punishment for any of these incidents. He’s claimed that these women “took money in order to say bad things” to dismiss these allegations against him, and it seems that was enough for many Americans.
The #MeToo movement has finally brought desperately needed changes to the way sexual assault is treated, yet to have the President of the United States, one of the most powerful men in the world, deny the validity of sexual assault survivors is immensely terrifying. Moreover, Trump’s “grab ‘em by the pussy!” is not only revolting, but incredibly disheartening when many of his supporters, some of them women, proudly display signs with the same “slogan.” Despite Harvey Weinstein, the epicenter of the #MeToo movement, recently having been convicted with rape and criminal sex acts, there’s still many more influential men who face accusations yet still stand untouched. Why has Trump, for example, not been as ruthlessly persecuted as Lewinsky?
Monica Lewinsky herself has been incredibly vocal on the matter. Now a Twitter activist, she often advocates for anti-bullying campaigns and the #MeToo movement. It would understate her hatred to say that she’s not Trump’s biggest fan. With Trump’s recent impeachment proceedings, Lewinsky tweeted “Gee, too bad I had to give that videoed witness testimony for the senate trial in the Clinton impeachment. (I mean, talk about unflattering lighting and having a bad hair day)” in response to Republican Senator Lamar Alexander’s statement that he will not vote to hear witnesses in Trump’s impeachment trial. Recall, Trump’s impeachment was on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress after accused of soliciting foreign influence in the 2020 presidential election and ignoring House subpoenas for documents and testimonies. In the Senate trial, no witnesses or documents were subpoenaed.
Why has Trump, for example, not been as ruthlessly persecuted as Lewinsky?
In a grand twist of irony, Ken Starr, the man responsible for doggedly investigating and exposing Monica Lewinsky’s relationship with Bill Clinton, joined President Trump’s impeachment defense team. Lewinsky appropriately tweeted, “this is definitely an ‘are you f—ing kidding me?’ kinda day.” Her exasperation is completely justified. Starr serves as an apt representation of how differently Lewinsky and Trump, one a witness and one the defendant, received different treatment in their respective impeachment trials. It really begs the question: What is more important? A stained dress, or preserving democracy?
It’s not a stretch to say the linchpin to the disparities between these two individuals is misogyny. The complete lack of respect for Monica Lewinsky as a human being throughout the trial proceedings and thereafter cemented the fact that women are granted a fraction of the leniency rewarded to men. In my time researching for this article, I’ve come across a multitude of comments completely invalidating Lewinsky’s opinions, feelings, and arguments for a mistake she made when she was 23.
Over two decades, three different presidents, and a separate impeachment trial later, Monica Lewinsky is still the butt of internet jokes and barbed attacks, and Trump is on a steady track towards re-election. Voting is now more important than ever.