Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Bill Clinton held a web discussion on “empowering women and girls” on Friday, despite criticism of Clinton’s story of alleged sexual misconduct and predatory behavior.
Harris said it was a “real honor” to join Clinton, 74, for the virtual event organized by the Clinton Global Initiative.
At one point in the lecture, Clinton cryptically endorsed Harris’ advice that people should try to “be there” while living their lives – adding that he believes it allows you to “forgive yourself” for crimes.
Clinton said: “It is really good advice. Furthermore, if you are really present, it will give you the gift of memory as you go through life. If you are paying attention at each stage of your life, you can build on it, you can grow. And you can forgive yourself for your mistakes and keep looking for new answers. “
The 22-minute conversation focused in part on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on women, but it also featured a short conversation about Harris’s mother, the hot spring weather and the role of vice presidents.
Harris told Clinton: “I know you, during the course of your presidency, but in your life’s work, you have always focused on the issue of poverty and what we should do to lift people out of poverty.”
The vice president noted that the recently approved American Rescue Plan Act increased the $ 2,000 annual child tax credit to $ 3,000, or $ 3,600 for children under the age of six, which, according to advocates, could dramatically reduce poverty.
The billing of the event as a forum on “empowering women and girls” drew harsh criticism from the alleged victims of Clinton and his former friend Jeffrey Epstein.
“Is this a king’s joke? This pervert … who raped me … will talk about empowering women, ” tweeted Juanita Broaddrick, who accused Clinton of raping her in 1978.
“Wow !! Is she asking Clinton how to empower women ???” tweeted Virginia Giuffre, an alleged Epstein trafficking victim who says Prince Andrew had sex with her when she was 17.
“Wrong person, what she should be asking is what the hell was Clinton doing on #Epstein Island and private jets 27 TIMES!”
In addition to Broaddrick’s claim, Paula Jones accused Clinton of sexual harassment in 1991, and two other women, Kathleen Willey and Leslie Millwee, accused him of assault.
Clinton was impeached in 1998 for perjury and obstruction of justice in relation to his case with Monica Lewinsky, who was 21 when he did an internship at the White House.
During the conversation, Clinton and Harris also discussed their role as a tiebreaker in the equally divided Senate.
“You know, when Al Gore was vice president, he did a fabulous job. But he had a wonderful saying. He said, ‘Whenever I vote, we win,’ ”Clinton told Harris.
Harris replied, “I adopted that saying. I’ll tell you, the first time I said that, I said, ‘like Al Gore said.’ So, the next time I said that, I said, ‘as someone famous said,’ and then now I just say, ‘As I always say, when I vote, I win’. “