Scarborough Rips Bill Clinton’s ‘I Gotta Pay Our Bills’ Defense: ‘They Can’t Help Themselves!’

Monica Sanchez | May 4, 2015
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On Monday’s Morning Joe, co-host Joe Scarborough slammed former president Bill Clinton for unapologetically defending taking millions in foreign cash for his foundation and charging $500,000 for his speeches as a means to "pay our bills" despite his already significant wealth.

“They can’t help themselves!” Scarborough shouted.

“We gotta pay our bills… They’ve made like $100, $150 million dollars already. And they gotta pay their bills?”

“Well, the question’s not really about helping poor people and lifting them up,” he said. “We all support that.”

“It’s just, when you lift poor people up and you lift yourself up at the same time, and you do so in a way that has The New York Times and Washington Post and Wall Street Journal and others questioning whether there’s a quid pro quo, I think that’s the issue,” Scarborough argued.

“Nobody wants to take [the Clinton Global Initiative] down,” he said. “We’ve been over there several times. Hey, it’s a great organization. We’re inspired by the work they do across the globe.”

“The Clintons are helping themselves while they’re helping others,” said Scarborough. “That’s the issue.”

In an interview with NBC News, Bill Clinton defended the foundation’s taking in millions in foreign donations:

“I don’t think there’s anything sinister in trying to get wealthy people in countries that are seriously involved in development to spend their money wisely in a way that helps poor people and lifts them up,” he argued.

Mr. Clinton also justified his high-priced speeches as necessary to “pay our bills.”

“I gotta pay our bills,” he said. “And I also give a lot of it to the foundation every year.”

He added that the high price point is reasonable because he spends hours researching and practicing:

“I spend a couple of hours a day just doing the research,” Clinton said. “People like to hear me speak.” 

For the rest of Scarborough's impassioned remarks, watch the video below.

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