Chapter 1 | Part 2 | Clinton | American Experience | PBS

After an admonishing midterm election, the Clinton administration focused intently on diagnosing strengths and weaknesses. It wouldn't spare them from tumultuous highs and lows of the next six years.
Learn more about CLINTON, including where to watch the documentary: pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/films/clinton
Clinton tells the story of a president who rose from a broken childhood in Arkansas to become one of the most successful politicians in modern American history and one of the most complex and conflicted characters to ever stride across the public stage. From draft dodging to the Dayton Accords, from Monica Lewinsky to a balanced budget, the presidency of William Jefferson Clinton veered between sordid scandal and grand achievement. Clinton had a career full of accomplishment and rife with scandal, a marriage that would make history and create controversy, and a presidency that would define the crucial and transformative period between the fall of the Berlin Wall and 9/11.
A four-hour film, part of the critically acclaimed series of presidential biographies, Clinton follows the president across his two terms as he confronted some of the key forces that would shape the future, including partisan political warfare and domestic and international terrorism, and as he struggled with uneven success to define the role of American power in a post-Cold War world. Most memorably, it explores how Clinton’s conflicted character made history, even as it enraged his enemies and confounded his friends.

[@sarahuber8567]

It’s amazing that he balanced the budget! Something that hasn’t been done since.

[@Hatmua-Bazan]

I love how this video periodically gets recommended to us when the title is exactly right

[@williamj.dovejr.8613]

Lifelong republican here. I strongly believe that if Clinton wasn't barred by law against serving a third term, he could have beaten George W. Bush, Obama, and he would have given Trump a real run. Bill Clinton was and is the most talented politician of his generation. Period.

[@MariaLuisaLatorre]

I live in Spain and unfortunately I can't watch these wonderful documentaries from here. I am referring to the complete versions posted on your website

[@andrewrichardson2079]

Pirate them

[@Redstripe921]

Use VPN

[@rcrotorfreak]

Express Vpn

[@perrybelcourt5441]

Clintons sold uranium to Russia that why Russia has more nuclear weapons than America

[@brettfavreify]

"The Contract with America" Yeah, that certainly changed things. I think Gingrich had stacks of it as kindling for his fireplace.

[@AceofDlamonds]

Gingrich is the architect of the modern GOP. just sick.

[@thomaschacko6320]

Some of it was kindling. The rest was toilet paper - Ouch!

[@MAlexanderZagorski]

The world became a better place on Monday August 19,1946 with the birth of William Jefferson Blythe Clinton in Hope, Arkansas.Bill Clinton is the only POTUS to have been a Rhodes Scholar.🇺🇲

[@italiancapo7]

What’s the music? Is the composer Joel Goodman? What’s the name of the song?! Cannot find it anywhere!

[@phoenixpharaoh9517]

Have you found out who it is yet? I like the ending song too to the full version of this as well.

[@italiancapo7]

@@phoenixpharaoh9517 it’s called “humbled by defeat” by Joel Goodman.

[@phoenixpharaoh9517]

Thanks bud.

[@iamseamonkey6688]

why aren't they avaliable anymore?

[@gturcott1]

WOW this is a great edit job. Maybe let the bling guy do other jobs?

[@AceofDlamonds]

5:00-6:30 was hilarious and just goes to show how bad voters are at judging elected officials, that the president has to resort to PR campaigns and strategies to appeal to small-minded dipshits who don't focus on political policy. In one sense it's an ancestral instinct to judge people that way but it's sad af.

[@dvderek]

lol median voter theorem

[@Tomorrison28]

That's why I'm against universal suffrage

[@garymclaughin]

I will respectfully take a pass because I don't fricken know busy at the rebuild no time for American Politics but the economic policies were spot on. Sawadee 🤠

[@davidshirley8739]

no way this guy is just showing how smart he is, because they all know his lies and criminal record and yet people voted for him and congress allowed him to be sworn in.

[@Markdfadf]

I happily voted for Bill. Great president. Time for Democrats to elect someone who adheres to centrist mainstream economics again instead of the hard left turn the party has taken.

[@perrybelcourt5441]

Clintons sold uranium to Russia that why Russia has more nuclear weapons than America and a sexually predators

[@williestyle35]

It only seems the party has gone so far "left" in relation to how farrrr right the republicans have gone.

[@RogerHackler-w5d]

Remember this much how much I hate Bill Clinton and people like you wanted to destroy our country, because that man had no respect for our country thanks to the fact that he wanted to downsize our military almost nothing where we couldn’t defend ourselves and then be ready for a military takeover!

[@justinkassinger8238]

Im a Republican. I would vote for trump over Biden. But I would vote for Clinton over trump anyday of the week. We desperately NEED to get back to civility. We need a president like Clinton.

[@GAURAV25855ify]

Democrats arent like this anymore

[@2024Blue.]

1996: Bill Clinton re-elected. 2000: George W. Bush elected. 2004: George W. Bush re-elected. 2008: Barack Obama elected 2012: Barack Obama re-elected. 2016: Donald Trump elected. 2020: Joe Biden elected.

[@onlyMistaZ]

For a while, it seemed normal that presidents would serve two terms given the presidencies of Clinton, Bush 43, and Obama. This consecutive run of three presidents all serving two terms is actually quite rare in history. It happened with FDR (3 terms), truman (~2 terms), and Eisenhower (2 terms). The only other time it happened was Jefferson, Madison, and Monroe.

[@2024Blue.]

@@onlyMistaZ Jefferson, Madison and Monroe

[@kcomella3793]

Yeah. Thanks. We know that as we live here. In addition, we also know pay attention, and also our history Again, thanks for reminding us.

[@emmapasqule2432]

2024 Donald Trump re-elected 2024 Joe Biden committed to aged care home ;)

[@ibrahimalmaedani8298]

@@emmapasqule2432 maybe yes maybe no .

[@haraldploessl4620]

❤❤❤❤❤

[@isabellaereshki]

8:03 in many ways they had a true equal partnership. Most marriages are supposed to be like that but almost none ever stay that way even the few who start that way don’t often stay that way. In many ways Hilary broke the mold and even now many are still not ready to handle that amongst the public. In some ways I think it would have been great if she’d have become a senator in her own right while Bill was President or even Governor. Then the collaboration would have been viewed much more positively if they were more on an equal footing to begin with in the public eye. Or she could have just done things behind the scenes. It’s common belief that Nancy Regan ran the White House for much of the better parts of the Regan years and that Eleanor Roosevelt Teddy’s favorite Niece was the power behind FDR in many cases. I still am upset she won but didn’t get elected by the electoral College in 2016. Al Gore should have won in 2000, 2008 should have been either Hilary Clinton or John McCain though Barack Obama turned out great in many ways in the end, 2016 should have been Hilary’s time for sure. Somewhere in there I’d have liked to see Condoleeza Rice as VP or President make a run for it.

[@justinkassinger8238]

Im a Republican. I would vote for trump over Biden. But I would vote for Clinton over trump anyday of the week. We desperately NEED to get back to civility. We need a president like Clinton.

[@Chickpea-15]

I’m glad there are republicans who feel this way. Are you going to vote for Harris over Trump now?

[@bettyrasmussen9053]

WHAT ? EVIDENCE - IS COMING - FORWARD - TO EXPOSE - THE CLINTON - BIDENS - OBAMA & - YES !” BUSH !” GOD - WILL - GET - THE - GLORY - ✝️….,!” THIS WILL GO - GLOBAL - 🌎- TO BRING - AN - END - TO - THESE DEEP - STATE - CORRUPT - ELITES !” 🥷🥷…..!”

[@toddlooney2878]

Who American?NAFTA,MFN,PTRN, CHINAGATE,ETC...CEO'S,Etc...

[@arunavadasgupta2147]

My Biography realsed By Former Governor and present Vice President of India My name included in Indian Constitution

[@thomaspaine3395]

Why doesn't it describe his many visits to Epsteins island?

[@tinahassani2065]

I’m stunned at how there is NOTHING on this anywhere. Not on KZbin, not on the web, like it’s all irrelevant and he should be protected. His wife is quite shady too for putting up with all of this.

[@rmb7355]

There’s only one reason. Likely 90% of politicians, 50% of celebrities, and a lot of people you’d never expect to find there were there. The lust of wicked people in the United States alone is massive.

[@seredikakuba8538]

All men are like that. Doesn't mean it's right.

[@equestrianfeminist9097]

*WaRsHiNgToN*

[@tanhpham825]

Chữ rằng đồi núi hoang vu / cao bồi thắng trân kinh sư sang giàu

[@marceloparis4007]

Why dont we talk about Jeffrey Epstein instead? oh yeah this is a subtle distraction

[@gendaminoru3195]

ummmm,. this is PBS, you know funded by your tax dollars....

[@alexthompson9516]

This documentary was made long before Epstein's predilections were known.

[@thomaschacko6320]

Epstein - just the sort of topic that turns you on!!!

[@louismelendez626]

He has always been a crook

[@arunavadasgupta2147]

I have Read there Constitution India UK And USA Federal Constitution

[@MirtaDeLaCruz-ko3hb]

Yo Michelle Obama tried to Make a version of their story what is that things problem. You see how Hilary still was. Mommy ❤️

[@travisglenn5297]

The 90s were so much better for union workers. Reagan destroyed labor union strength.

[@GAURAV25855ify]

It was also good for IT wallstreet big and small businesses and sports entertainment and the job market only problem was they needed to increase the minimum wage imagine if Donald Trump was president in the 90's

[@GAURAV25855ify]

US DOLLARS WAS STILL STRONG WE HAD A SURPLUS no deficit budget recession 9/11 wars inflation.and definitely not covid

[@GAURAV25855ify]

Yeah and bush sr and bill Clinton pretty much killed x amount of American jobs for bringing in.NAFTA.

[@janesoderstrom6069]

Ahab & Jezebel

[@MirtaDeLaCruz-ko3hb]

Baskin robbins ice cream gate not pizza gate. It’s Barack Michelle and Biden the ice cream Stories.

[@steved8053]

they raked him over the coals i'm right wing conservative but he's a good guy

[@jamespalmer980]

You actually legitimately think he’s a good guy 😂 😂

[@akrenwinkle]

You actually think Bill was a liberal. 🤣😂

[@gayan2517]

I did NOT..have a sexual relationship with that woman. 😁