Newt Gingrich finally admits the truth about impeaching Bill Clinton, 27 years too late

Former Republican House Speaker Newt Gingrich has admitted that impeaching ex-President Bill Clinton in 1998 was a mistake. He made this admission in an interview with Miranda Devine on her Pod Force One podcast, where he spoke openly about the Clinton impeachment over the Lewinsky scandal.

According to Mediaite, Gingrich said his thinking changed after a conversation with his two daughters, who told him, “If our friends lose money on their 401K because of some stupid intern, we are going to be mad at you, because frankly it ain’t a big enough deal for us to lose a lot of money.” He said this feedback made him realize he had misread the public mood at the time.

“I think it was a mistake, because the real problem wasn’t Lewinsky,” Gingrich said. “The real problem was he committed perjury in a case involving sexual harassment when he was governor. And perjury’s a felony.” He was referring to allegations made by Paula Jones, who accused Clinton of sexual misconduct in 1991. That case was later settled out of court in 1998.

Gingrich now acknowledges the Clinton impeachment backfired and boosted his popularity instead

Gingrich admitted that the impeachment backfired, saying it resulted in Clinton leaving office “at the high point of his popularity.” This lines up with polling data from the time, as a poll conducted in late 2000 found that Clinton had a 67% approval rating, which was close to his all-time high. The impeachment appears to have helped Clinton’s image rather than damaged it.

Gingrich’s admission comes 27 years after the impeachment proceedings, which many had long argued were a misguided attempt to remove Clinton over a personal scandal. His words now appear to confirm that view, acknowledging that the political move did not achieve what Republicans had hoped. It is also worth noting that how old Monica Lewinsky was during the Clinton affair has remained a significant part of how people look back on that period.

Gingrich also pushed back on the idea that the impeachment gave Democrats a political advantage, arguing that Democrats did not try to impeach George W. Bush when he was president. However, the circumstances surrounding both presidents were very different, making a direct comparison difficult.

The impeachment of Clinton in 1998 was one of the most divisive political events of that era. Clinton was impeached by the House of Representatives on charges of perjury and obstruction of justice but was acquitted by the Senate and remained in office. The entire process lasted several months and dominated public attention across the country.

Gingrich was one of the key figures pushing for the impeachment at the time, making his current admission all the more notable. More recently, Trump’s complicated relationship with Bill Clinton has also drawn attention, adding yet another layer to how Clinton’s legacy continues to play out in modern politics.

Gingrich’s acknowledgment that the impeachment was the wrong call raises questions about the decisions made during that period and what the political outcomes may have looked like had Republicans chosen a different path.