Joe Lockhart: Impeachment Day - The Moth

Summary

Episode Summary: Joe Lockhart – "Impeachment Day"

In this compelling episode of The Moth titled "Impeachment Day," Joe Lockhart, former Press Secretary for President Bill Clinton, shares his firsthand experience navigating one of the most tumultuous periods in American political history. Recorded live at The Moth’s main stage, Lockhart's narrative offers an insider’s perspective on the intertwining crises of presidential impeachment and impending war.

Appointment and Early Signs

Joe Lockhart begins his story in [03:01] with his unexpected appointment as the White House Press Secretary. Meeting President Clinton alone in the Oval Office, Lockhart recalls the surreal moment when Clinton states, “I hear you want to be my next press secretary” ([03:01]). Despite the apparent lack of a competitive selection process—Lockhart was the only applicant—he embraced the challenge, motivated by his desire to push his personal limits.

He notes subtle red flags, such as his predecessor Mike McCurry’s unnerving, constant smile ([03:35]) and the absence of other candidates, which in hindsight hinted at the complex environment he was stepping into.

First Day Under Pressure

Lockhart's inaugural day is marked by immediate crisis. As he steps into his role, the House Judiciary Committee commences the third impeachment hearings in U.S. history ([03:35]). Faced with the daunting task of managing media relations during such a high-stakes scenario, Lockhart sets the stage for the challenges ahead.

Adventure in Moscow

During a foreign trip to Russia, Lockhart recounts an ill-fated evening in Moscow. Invited by Bono, the lead singer of U2, to experience the “real Moscow,” he ends up staying out until 5 AM at a venue called the Hungry Duck ([05:45]). Exhausted and without his passport, he falls asleep on his hotel bed, only to wake up at 6:15 AM realizing he has missed Air Force One ([04:30]). The anxiety of missing such a critical flight and being stranded without identification is palpable as he states, “You don’t know anxiety until you’ve woken up as the White House press secretary on your first foreign trip” ([04:30]).

Upon finally catching up with his team, Lockhart faces immediate media scrutiny. When questioned about being the first Press Secretary to miss Air Force One on a foreign trip, he awkwardly echoes the President’s recent apology regarding the Monica Lewinsky affair, saying, “I’m really sorry for what I’ve done wrong...” ([06:15]). This misstep inadvertently draws unfavorable comparisons between his own mistakes and the President’s scandal.

Handling Dual Crises: Impeachment and War

Despite the rocky start, Lockhart navigates through significant achievements, including a historic budget deal and temporary peace in the Middle East ([07:20]). However, the looming impeachment inquiry and the brewing conflict in Iraq cast long shadows over his tenure.

A particularly memorable moment occurs during a tense plane ride on Air Force One. The aircraft is split into two sections: the political team grapples with impeachment strategies, while the national security team discusses potential military actions against Iraq ([10:10]). Lockhart vividly describes watching the political maneuvering as “a game of political bingo”, highlighting the precarious balance between safeguarding the President’s position and managing international conflicts.

The Impeachment Vote and Aftermath

On December 19, 1998 ([13:10]), the impeachment process takes a pivotal turn when House Speaker Bob Livingston resigns, admitting to an affair. This unexpected resignation shifts the narrative dramatically. Lockhart and his team must swiftly adapt their communication strategy to counter the new reality where the narrative simplifies to personal misconduct and resignation.

Lockhart recalls rushing to the Oval Office to capture the President’s authentic response. President Clinton emphasizes the need to move beyond the cycle of personal destruction, stating, “It was a real shame that the Congressman was resigning...” ([14:00]). This genuine moment helps dissipate some of the anticipated pressures surrounding impeachment.

Communication Strategies

Faced with simultaneous crises, Lockhart orchestrates a dual messaging approach. For the impeachment aspect, he leverages a straightforward political narrative aimed at emphasizing partisanship. Concurrently, he addresses the war in Iraq by shifting focus to national unity and victory, stating, “There are no Republicans in this country. There are no Democrats. It’s just Americans, and we’ve won the war” ([14:30]).

This bold and audacious strategy allows The White House to maintain public support and manage media relations effectively, despite the overlapping crises. Lockhart’s ability to juggle these multifaceted communications underscores the complexities of political strategy during a heated impeachment process.

Conclusion and Reflections

As the day concludes, Lockhart reflects on the delicate balance between political maneuvering and genuine governance. Sharing a candid moment with a close aide, he humorously notes, “Except for getting impeached, we had a pretty good day” ([14:40]), highlighting the resilience and adaptability required in high-pressure political environments.

Lockhart’s narrative offers invaluable insights into crisis management, the intricacies of political communications, and the personal toll of serving at the highest levels of government during a period of intense scrutiny and conflict.

Notable Quotes

“I hear you want to be my next press secretary.” — President Bill Clinton ([03:01])
“You don't know anxiety until you've woken up as the White House press secretary on your first foreign trip.” — Joe Lockhart ([04:30])
“Anyone who can handle world affairs, you know, Monica Lewinsky and all that, and still has time to stay out all night drinking, is my kind of guy.” — Bono ([06:45])
“You gotta be fucking kidding me.” — Joe Lockhart ([13:22])
“Except for getting impeached, we had a pretty good day.” — Joe Lockhart ([14:40])

Conclusion

Joe Lockhart’s "Impeachment Day" is a riveting account of navigating unprecedented political crises. Through personal anecdotes and behind-the-scenes revelations, Lockhart provides a nuanced understanding of the pressures and strategies involved in managing both political downfall and international conflict. This episode serves as a testament to the resilience required in political leadership and the complexities of presidential communications during times of intense scrutiny.

Transcript

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Dan Kennedy (2:31)

Welcome to the Moth Podcast. I'm Dan Kennedy. The Moth features true stories told live without notes. All stories on the Moth Podcast are taken from our ongoing storytelling series in New York and Los Angeles and from our tour Shows across the country. Visit themoth.org the story you're about to hear by Joe Lockhart was recorded live at the Moth main stage.

Joe Lockhart (3:01)

My story starts in late July in Washington D.C. it was a typical hot summer day. I found myself in the Oval Office by myself and in walked the President of the United States, William Jefferson Clinton. And he said to me, I hear you want to be my next press secretary. I said, yes, sir, I think I do. And it happened. Now, there should have been some warning signs for me, some of the obvious, like, you know, the Lewinsky investigation, a couple that were not so obvious. One was the guy who I was replacing, Mike McCurry. As soon as I heard I'd taken the job, he started smiling. And for six weeks the smile didn't come off his face. The second one, which was weird, was I was the only applicant for the job. There was no interview process. Nobody else applied. I was the only one in America who seemed to want the job. But I have this thing about challenging myself personally, like standing here right now and I thought, you know, I can do this, so I'm going to try to do it. I didn't have to wait long for the challenge. My very first day walking out to the podium in the White House press room simultaneously to the moment the House Judiciary Committee were gaveling in the third impeachment hearings in the history of the country. So, you know, I had a few things on my mind and I would love to say that I got off to a good start, but I can't just. After I started, we went on a trip. We went off to Russia. We were going to Ireland, doing big foreign policy stuff. Trip was going pretty well. The last night in Moscow, I was coming into the hotel and I ran into a friend of mine, an old friend of mine, the godfather to my daughter hadn't seen in a couple years. And he said, come on, we've got to go out, we've got to go out. And he convinced me we were going to go see the real Moscow. And we went to, I'll never forget, a place called the Hungry Duck. And they were doing things there that I couldn't take my eyes off. So I had to stay till five in the morning, which was okay because we weren't leaving till 6. So I got back to my hotel and made one mistake, which was to sit down on the bed and obviously I fell asleep. And I'm telling you, you don't know anxiety until you've woken up as the White House press secretary on your first foreign trip. At 6:15 in Moscow without a passport, knowing you've missed Air Force One. Now, the only good thing that I could think of, the only good thing I could think of was the day couldn't get worse. I was wrong. When I finally caught up with the traveling party, I was immediately surrounded by reporters who said, how do you feel about being the first White House press secretary to ever miss Air Force One on a foreign trip? And a strange phrase just caught in my head, and I couldn't lose it. About a week earlier, the president had been at a prayer breakfast talking about his affair with Monica Lewinsky. And he said, you know, I'm really sorry for what I did, and I'm working very hard to make up for it, particularly to those I've hurt the most. So when I got the question of how do you feel? I said, I'm really sorry for what I've done wrong, and I'm working hard to fix it, particularly those who I've hurt the most. Now, mocking the President of the United States when you make a mistake isn't always the best idea, but it came in my head and I said it. So anyway, the day went on and we finally had a little break where the President had some private meetings. And I went to the back of the Irish ambassador's residence to go to sleep. And I hadn't been to sleep for more than five minutes, and I was actually pretty hungover, which is why I needed to sleep. And the president's personal aide came back and said, the president's in a meeting right now, and he wants you to come into it. Now, I'm not the smartest guy in the world, but this had practical joke written all over it. And I said, get lost. About three minutes later, he came in and said, hey, the president's in. He's in with the band U2 with Bono, and they want to talk to you. I said, well, if the President wants to see me, he can walk his presidential ass right back to this room and ask me himself. Well, about 60 seconds later, the presidential ass showed up and said, what is your problem? These guys want to meet you. So I walked into the meeting, and this guy, this rock star Bono, comes up and gives me this big hug and says, I really want to meet you. And I said, well, that's great, Mr. Bono, but why? And he said, anyone who can handle world affairs, you know, Monica Lewinsky and all that, and still has time to stay out all night drinking, is my kind of guy. Now, most people. Most people would think, you know, Bono, you too, telling you that they like your work. That'd be great. One problem. I'd spent most of the day making sure the President didn't know I'd missed Air Force One, and Bono busted me. But after that inauspicious start, things started going pretty well. We reached a historic budget deal, and I got to talk about that. We made peace in the Middle east temporarily. Got to talk about that. But still, looming above everything was this unresolved Monica Lewinsky investigation and what was going on in Iraq. And I always remember a very bizarre plane ride on Air Force One. We were coming back from the Middle east, having done some peace talks, and the plane is divided into three sections. And in the middle section, the President's political advisors were all gathered, and we were getting near the impeachment vote. And we were very. We were very aware of who we needed to be with us to avoid being impeached. And it really, as I remembered it, struck me as sort of a game of political bingo, because people were calling members of Congress from the plane, and people kept shouting out, congressman Quinn, we lost him. And people would all write it down, Quinn, yes, on impeachment. And we figured out in this meeting that we were going to lose, and we didn't have the votes. And now up in the front of the plane where the President headed his office, there was a meeting going on with the national security team going through particular war plans for launching an attack on Iraq. I was the only one going between the two meetings. And I do remember in both meetings, sort of looking up at one point and saying, think things are bad in here. You should see what's going on in the other meeting. But when we landed that night at Andrews Air Force Base, I realized three things. One is, the president was going to be impeached, and soon. One was we were going to start a war with Iraq, and soon. And three, I was the one who was going to have to convince the public that 1 and 2 had nothing to do with each other. And that life challenge that I'd been looking for came a lot sooner than I thought. About 10 days later, December 19, 1998, sticks in my head a little bit. The President of the United States was facing an impeachment vote. Now, we had a pretty simple strategy for dealing with this. We said that this is all about politics. It's partisan. The president's going to stay focused on the people's business. It was simple. People believed it. Our ratings were up. Well, that day we thought was going to go as planned. Of course, it didn't about 11:30, the speaker of the House, Bob Livingston, went to the floor, as many of you remember, and said to the effect, Larry Flint caught me. I had an affair, and the only honorable thing to do is to resign. And he resigned on the floor during the impeachment debate. Now, we had a simple message. All of a sudden, they had one that was even simpler. Do something wrong, get caught, resign. So I figured we had about 15 minutes before everyone caught their breath to figure that out. And I knew within 15 minutes, a drumbeat on TV of pundits would start for the President should resign. So I ran down to the Oval Office. President was there with his chief of staff, John Podesta. We were waiting for a couple of people to arrive to figure out what to do. And I said to the President, you know, not what we're going to say. What do you think? How do you feel about this? And he started talking. And I realized that what he was saying was making a lot of sense. So I started scribbling it down, I wrote it down, and I went out to the press immediately. I said, we don't need to have a meeting. This is what we're going to say. And then, as some of you may remember, the President said that it was a real shame that the Congressman was resigning, that this cycle of the politics of personal destruction had to end and should end today, and that he was going to call Livingston and say, don't resign. And oddly, the fever that I was worried about about the President having to resign or being forced to resign broke in that very moment, which was good for me because I was late for another meeting. I had to go to a meeting where we were working on writing the State of the Union speech. And I do remember sitting in that meeting and thinking, you know, we're sitting here discussing health care and education. This is why we're going to survive this. We're actually doing the people's business. Unfortunately, someone came and tapped me on the shoulder and said, we need you out here. And I remember it was my deputy at the time. And I remember looking at her and saying, you know, if one more thing happens today, my head's going to explode. And she said, well, then you don't want to go into your office right now. In my office were some of the President's national security team. They had been meeting, unbeknownst to me, downstairs, talking about the military action. It had been going on now for about a week to 10 days. And I went in and they said, well, we've done this military Action. We've hit everything we can. We're about to go to the president to recommend he make a statement calling off the military action, claiming victory. And I looked at them and said, you gotta be fucking kidding me. I said, a week ago, you had me go out and say, we found out today we're going to be impeached and we're launching a war. And today you want me to go out and say, yeah, we got impeached, and guess what? We won the war. But they said, yeah. And I said, well, isn't there anything we could hit again? Could we go back and hit some buildings a second time? The military guy didn't think that was very funny, but I quickly acceded and said, well, we're gonna have to do this. I then had what we call in the business a communications challenge, because we had two things we had to do in the same time space. And we tried to figure out what to do. We had 150 members of Congress down to stand with the president, Democrats, and say, this impeachment was all partisan. It's all politics. And then we had to talk about the war. And I thought, you know what? Sometimes the best thing to do is not worry very much about it. Just go out and do it. So out on the South Lawn, we had the Democrats, very simple message. Partisans, this is politics. Republicans suck. It all went well. You remember Al Gore called the president the greatest president in history and then ran his campaign trying to disprove that theory. Then we went. Sorry. Then we went inside, only 10 minutes apart, the same podium, just a different room, a different set of flags, and said, there are no Republicans in this country. There are no Democrats. It's just Americans, and we've won the war. And then the President left, leaving me in the room to explain to 50 waiting reporters how the two things fit together. And I think it was so audacious that we even took the breath away from the press, and they seemed to let us get away with it. And I remember at the end of this long day, walking across the hall about 20ft to my office, going in, and one of my closest friends in the White House was there, one of the President's top aides. And he saw me come in. I sat down, and he went over to the little bar in the office and got two beers, opened them up, sat down, put his feet up, and I'll never forget what he said to me, which was, you know, except for getting impeached, we had a pretty good day.