Appearing on Thursday's NBC Today to promote his new show premiering on the Military Channel, The Brokaw Files [1], special correspondent Tom Brokaw fondly looked back at a 1993 interview he conducted with Bill and Hillary Clinton: "It's
amazing when you stop and think about all that they've been through.
That was 1993, it's 20 years ago, and they're still at the top of the
attention span in this country." [Listen to the audio [2]]
In the 20-year-old clip that was shown, Brokaw is seen lobbing this
softball to then-President Clinton, as Hillary looked on: "How long do
you think it'll be, Mr. President, before there's a first husband?"
Clinton predicted it would happen "probably in my lifetime." Following
the clip, co-host Savannah Guthrie proclaimed: "Well, that's a priceless
piece of videotape."
Brokaw declared: "No more prominent politician than Bill Clinton than what he's doing with the Global Initiative. And the big question is, is she going to run when '16 rolls around?"
Here is a transcript of the May 30 exchange:
7:14AM ET
(...)
GUTHRIE: Let's turn to the special I mentioned a few moments ago, which premieres. This is a beautiful opportunity. You actually get to walk through the NBC News archives and then kind of update and reflect on some of these moments. I want to play an interview you did with President Clinton back in 1993. Take a look.
[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: "The Brokaw Files"; The Stories That Defined A Nation & A Career]
BROKAW [IN INTERVIEW WITH BILL AND HILLARY CLINTON]: How long do you think it'll be, Mr. President, before there's a first husband?
BILL CLINTON: Not long. Not long. I think there'll be – a woman will be elected president probably in my lifetime. I certainly hope that one will have a chance to run. I think that, you know, people are – in this country are increasingly moving to the position that everybody ought to be able to fulfill their abilities.
GUTHRIE: Well, that's a priceless piece of videotape.
BROKAW: 1993, that was the first year in office. And you saw the rapt attention that Mrs. Clinton was paying to all of that. It's amazing when you stop and think about all that they've been through. That was 1993, it's 20 years ago, and they're still at the top of the attention span in this country. No more prominent politician than Bill Clinton than what he's doing with the Global Initiative. And the big question is, is she going to run when '16 rolls around?
GUTHRIE: You must have had a great time strolling through these archives. Some really interesting moments.
BROKAW: Well, it's a great opportunity. The military channel is part of Discovery and they came to us and said "We'd like to open the Brokaw Files." We've got a lot of stuff that we're going to put on the air. Beginning tonight with the U.S.S. Stennis, I was on it for 48 hours, went off the deck in an F-14 up over Afghanistan and came back. So we're looking forward to that.
GUTHRIE: Alright, Tom, thanks. We are looking forward to it. And we should mention, you can catch The Brokaw Files tonight at ten on the Military Channel.
