Bill Clinton was criticized for remarks he made during an interview with PBS while on his book tour with James Patterson to promote their book “The President is Missing”
During an interview with Judy Woodruff, the former president observed that the norms surrounding consent had evolved since his time in the White House.
“I think the norms have really changed in terms of, what you can do to somebody against their will,” he said. “You don’t have to physically assault somebody to make them, you know, uncomfortable at work or at home or in their other — just walking around.”
“That, I think, is good,” he added.
ICYMI: Bill Clinton with @JudyWoodruff:
"I think the norms have really changed in terms of, what you can do to somebody against their will" pic.twitter.com/YYtqVZlhPN
— Jon Levine (@LevineJonathan) June 11, 2018
Additionally, Clinton responded to a question about former Sen. Al Franken, who was resigned from office after being accused of groping by several women, suggesting that outcome was harsh.
“The Franken case, for me, was a difficult case, a hard case,” the former president said. “There may be things I don’t know. But I — maybe I’m just an old-fashioned person, but it seemed to me that there were 29 women on ‘Saturday Night Live’ that put out a statement for him, and that the first and most fantastic story was called, I believe, into question.”
But it was Clinton’s comments on consent that had many Twitter users squirming.
Check out some of their responses below:
This guy… Bill Clinton perhaps you should just stop talking. This is gross! https://t.co/AOmTUTT97E
— Kayleigh McEnany (@kayleighmcenany) June 11, 2018
https://twitter.com/NoahCRothman/status/1006223596266643457
You'd need oven mitts and pliers to fully unpack this Clinton comment. pic.twitter.com/HkoxSJPRo0
— Caleb Howe (@CalebHowe) June 11, 2018
"Norms have changed about what you can do to someone against their will" is a hell of a sentiment https://t.co/wjOwGsxiTo
— Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) June 11, 2018
Wow, I missed Bill Clinton weighing in on Franken, citing SNL colleagues defending him and questioning some allegationshttps://t.co/vzhLbmlqUQ pic.twitter.com/bi2pxMf5MF
— Alex Burns (@alexanderburns) June 11, 2018
https://twitter.com/andreagonram/status/1006225531292082179
Whenever a sentence begins with, “Look, maybe I'm old-fashioned…” > https://t.co/7wa6pUI2LK
— MJ Lee (@mj_lee) June 11, 2018