TRANSCRIPT: Linda Tripp on Larry King Live 12/01/03

KING: Linda Tripp's our guest. Before we take some calls, Linda wanted to make something clear, maybe a little bipartisan clear. You say this administration also has leak problems?
TRIPP: Well, clearly this administration has faced leak issues. The CIA leak, for instance. I think had President Bush and his administration taken a strong position against illegal leaking in the beginning, they wouldn't be facing this right now. They had the opportunity, the Justice Department opportunity had the opportunity to take a strong position. Remember, their justice department zealously defended the criminals, I say, those that broke the law, and were found to have broken the law under Clinton. Yet the Bush administration came in and defended them zealously for this many years, using taxpayer funds...
KING: Defending who?
TRIPP: The people who perpetrated the illegal leaks. Cliff Bernath and Ken Bacon in the Clinton White House.
KING: This Justice Department defended what they did on the principle...
TRIPP: They continued too defend -- I'm not sure. I question why our tax dollars would be used to defend with a team of lawyers -- we have battled a team of lawyers for four years. People who have broken the law.
KING: Why would they like leaking?
TRIPP: I think -- I think it protects self-interest. It protects each White House. And the reality is, the Privacy Act applies to every agency except the White House.
KING: They're not covered?
TRIPP: No. The very agency that caused the Privacy Act to be brought into being in the beginning.
KING: Let's take calls for Linda Tripp. And if you want to know more information on her foundation, go to lindatripp.com. It's as simple as that, lindatripp.com.
Bridgeport, West Virginia, hello.
CALLER: Hello, Larry. I love your show...
KING: Hello, I can't hear you.
CALLER: In regards to your friendship, or -- with Monica Lewinsky, I wondered, I guess you've already answered that you don't really feel guilty about what happened to her. But I was wondering if you don't think that the reason that you set her up was just because you wanted to bring Bill Clinton down because you're a Republican?
KING: That was the thinking of those. You should respond to that, because that was the general thinking.
TRIPP: I'm not a Republican. I've never been a Republican. I worked for two administrations. I worked for the first George Bush and for Bill Clinton. And I'm a registered independent.
KING: Did you vote for Clinton?
TRIPP: No, I did not.
KING: But your design was not to bring a presidency down?
TRIPP: No. I mean, I was an army wife for 20 years. The notion that I would do something unpatriotic after spending 20 years as an army officer's wife is ludicrous, but it played well in the press. There needed to be a villain that wasn't a president trying to fix a court case.
KING: New York City, hello.
CALLER: Yes. My question is, does she feel bad at all for what this country went through for such meaningless damage because of her betrayal. Thank you, Larry.
KING: The term meaningless might mean, so what. In other words, in the scheme of things, a president lied about an affair, so what.
TRIPP: My question is, where is the outrage? I was outraged -- remember, the Lewinsky thing for me was the straw that broke the camel's back. I had watched corruption, abuse and illegal behavior since January of 1993, when I worked in the Oval Office for Bill Clinton. Where is the outrage when the president of the United States abuses a subordinate that way during our time, during the work day in the White House. I find that offensive. This was a mixed-up, unstable young woman. And, yes, I don't think that's something that should be swept under the carpet. I think that was unconscionable.
KING: That is a major thing?
TRIPP: I think it's major. I don't think it's meaningless.
KING: Albuquerque, hello.
CALLER: Albuquerque, New Mexico?
KING: Yes.
CALLER: Happy belated birthday.
KING: Thank you.
CALLER: Linda Tripp, before this plastic surgery, did you ever feel any jealousy toward Monica Lewinsky?
TRIPP: Jealousy in what way?
CALLER: Her looks, her status as far as being with the president?
TRIPP: No, that isn't one that I experienced.
KING: That's wasn't included.
Burlington, North Carolina, hello.
CALLER: Hello, Larry. I want to know why Monica Lewinsky couldn't turn right around and sue Linda Tripp under that same Privacy Act.
KING: You can sue anyone you want in this country. She could have sued her if she wants.I don't know if -- were you covered by a Privacy Act?
TRIPP: I'm not as a person. Personally. But she's welcome to try.
KING: You could sue.
Seattle, Washington, hello.
CALLER: Good evening, Larry and Linda.
KING: Hi.
TRIPP: Hi.
CALLER: As a breast cancer survivor, I was wondering, what stage of breast cancer were you in, and did you have radiation?
TRIPP: I did. I had six weeks of radiation, and I was in stage T-2-A to be specific.
KING: Meaning.
TRIPP: Second stage.
KING: And how many stages are there?
TRIPP: Not sure. I know it goes at least to four.
KING: What did radiation do?
TRIPP: Radiation is, again, another sort of deterrent. They do the chemotherapy -- they do the chemotherapy at a certain age when they think that that sort of aggressive treatment is warranted. And the radiation, I think, is more of an insurance policy.
KING: Hilton Head, South Carolina, hello.
CALLER: Larry, how are you doing?
KING: Fine.
CALLER: Good. I have a question for Linda. First of all, I'm delighted that she's feeling better. And according to the night witer newspapers, Norma Asner (ph), is wealthy friends and contributor of the Clinton, offered you helped in find a private sector job and treated you to lavish weekends at her estate. I'm wondering if you think that Hillary Clinton knew about the affair with Monica?
TRIPP: I know that Hillary Clinton knew about the affair with Monica. Yes.
KING: So you know that, in her book, she says she was surprised when he told her?
TRIPP: Right. Not only do I know that, I know that when she went on the "Today Show," and effectively changed the dialog of the entire impeachment scandal by saying, this was a vast right-wing conspiracy, that he had been...
KING: She didn't believe that?
TRIPP: ... that he had been ministering to this young girl, she knew all of that to be false.
KING: You worked in the Clinton Oval Office?
TRIPP: Yes.
KING: You were there?
TRIPP: Yes.
KING: What do you make of this?
What led to this weakness of an obviously extraordinarily gifted man? You would agree with that, he is a gifted man?
TRIPP: I agree that he is brilliant. I believe his native intelligence is equal to most. I don't know what to make of it. I do know, though, that there was a lack of moral compass in that White House. There were hard-working people, don't get me wrong. But fish rots from the top, as they say. And there was a sense of the rules don't apply to us. Anything goes. The end justifies the means.
KING: Is this one of the dangers of power per se?
TRIPP: I think unchecked, yes. Unchecked, yes. However, my experience in the first Bush White House was so completely diametrically opposed to what I saw in the Clinton White House. Remember, Clinton was my generation. So I was very sad to see the Bush's leave, they were terrific. And I respected them terrifically. But the notion of a new president coming in, a young man of my generation was exciting.
KING: How supportive were your friends through all this?
TRIPP: I'm so blessed, I can't even tell you. My family and my close friends. I'm not one to have a cast of thousands around me. I've never been a networker. I keep a very sort of close-knit small group. And that's what I'm comfortable with.

KING: And they stayed with you throughout the ordeal of the Lewinsky matter and the breast cancer?

TRIPP: Everything.

KING: Our guest is Linda Tripp. We will take a break and come back. And we're going to meet Allison, a lovely young lady, her daughter. Don't go away.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

TRIPP: A navy blue dress. Now, all I would say to you is, I know how you feel today, and I know why you feel the way you do today. But you have a very long life ahead of you, and I don't know what's going to happen to you. Neither do you. I don't know anything and you don't know anything. I mean, the future is a blank slate. I don't know what will happen. I would rather you had that in your possession if you need it years from now. That's all I'm going to say.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KING: We're back in Los Angeles with Linda Tripp. And we are now joined by her lovely daughter Allison Tripp, who is -- how old are you, Allison?

ALLISON TRIPP, LINDA TRIPP'S DAUGHTER: 23.

KING: Finish college?

A. TRIPP: Yes.

KING: What school?

A. TRIPP: Radford University.

KING: Majored in?

A. TRIPP: Economics.

KING: Working yet?

A. TRIPP: Currently I'm working at (UNINTELLIGIBLE) Liquidators. It's the largest equine tack store in the country, actually.

KING: Horses?

A. TRIPP: Yes.

KING: You ride horses?

A. TRIPP: Yes.

KING: You're interested in horses?

A. TRIPP: Love them.

KING: How did you handle your mother's illness?

A. TRIPP: That was very, very difficult. I was luckily able to spend all of her treatments with her. It was...

KING: You went?

A. TRIPP: Yes. I went to the majority of them. And they took place over the summer. So although it was really tough for her, the heat, dealing with the chemo, and as we know, it was a pretty humid summer, I was able to be with her the whole time.

KING: Did you see the toenails come off?

A. TRIPP: I did see the lack thereof toenails, yes.

KING: The hair come off?

A. TRIPP: Yeah, that was pretty hard. But she was a toughy. She was a toughy. And we...

KING: What did it do to you emotionally?

A. TRIPP: It made me value her. I mean, I already valued her so much and looked up to her and admired her. But it just made me, you know, put into perspective life. And you know, I may not have her around me forever.

KING: We know about genealogy. Do you worry about yourself?

A. TRIPP: Absolutely, yes.

KING: Do you take care -- do you take exams?

A. TRIPP: I do. I do. I have yet to have a mammogram. But...

KING: But you're (UNINTELLIGIBLE) for that, right?

TRIPP: But you did have one.

A. TRIPP: Oh, yeah, I did. Didn't I?

KING: You forgot a mammogram?

A. TRIPP: When was that? Actually, that was when we went together, right?

TRIPP: Right.

A. TRIPP: ... to the Naval Hospital. Yeah, I did. But I think that age is actually 30 years old is when you really should start having routine mammograms. So.

KING: What do you make of your mother getting married?

A. TRIPP: I'm ecstatic for her. She's -- this is -- it's so strange to see her just so beaming. It's really wonderful.

KING: Did you know about this guy?

A. TRIPP: Yeah. Yeah. Actually...

KING: You mean you heard about him through the years?

A. TRIPP: Yeah, I heard about him, and I met him when I was much younger. And it's just wonderful. I mean, she's like a -- it's like she's starting all over.

KING: How did you tell her?

TRIPP: We didn't really have to, did we?

A. TRIPP: No. Not really. I pretty much assumed that they were a match made in heaven. And one of these days would tie the knot. So.

KING: Now, you were much younger when the whole thing, the Lewinsky thing went through, right?

A. TRIPP: Yeah, I was, what, 17?

TRIPP: 18.

KING: Late teens?

A. TRIPP: Yeah.

KING: How did that affect you, as a person and at school?

A. TRIPP: How did it affect me?

KING: Well, your name is Tripp. That is not a common name.

A. TRIPP: Well, that was -- yeah, kind of tough. I had to get comments here and there. Not so much at my college, though, before I went to Radford. So not so much there.

KING: (UNINTELLIGIBLE) school?

A. TRIPP: A lot of support there. In the Maryland area, when we were living in the Maryland area when this was all going on.

KING: Were you treated harshly at all?

A. TRIPP: Well, no, not too badly.

TRIPP: There were people who would make comments.

KING: I mean, wasn't your mother the snitch? You didn't run into that?

A. TRIPP: Oh, yes. Yes.

KING: How did you deal with it?

A. TRIPP: I just kind of had to, you know, take it with a grain of salt. Because everyone's entitled to their own opinion. They didn't know the full story, so, you know, you believe what you hear most of the time. And that's unfortunate.

KING: Did you ever meet Monica?

A. TRIPP: Yes, I did.

KING: Where was that, and what was it like?

A. TRIPP: It was actually -- I met her before the -- we had a Christmas party. And she came over to chat with my mom for a little bit, I guess. I don't know what about. But she was, you know -- she came across as a little flaky. Just a little flaky. And naive and young. And I was 18 at the time I think when that was happening. She might have been 22.

KING: You felt older than her?

A. TRIPP: A little bit. A little bit.

KING: When your mom had the work done and the plastic surgery, were you supportive?

A. TRIPP: Yes. Yes. I was there for her, too. It was a bit much, but...

TRIPP: She never thought it was necessary. So.

KING: Yeah, but look how great she looks.

A. TRIPP: Oh, she looks wonderful.

KING: Has she always been this supportive, Linda?

TRIPP: Allison?

KING: Yes.

TRIPP: Oh, 100 percent all the way.

KING: This is like an angel daughter?

TRIPP: She's not necessarily an angel, but she's very supportive. And I couldn't ask for a better daughter, truly. She gets it.

KING: Let's take a call. New Lennox, Illinois, hello.

CALLER: Yes, hi. Thanks for taking my call.

KING: Hi. Sure.

CALLER: Congratulations on your engagement, Linda.

TRIPP: Thank you.

CALLER: I was wondering about your son, what he's doing now and how he dealt with your cancer diagnosis?

KING: Good question. Ryan.

TRIPP: I think it was almost harder on Ryan than it was on Allison. I think everything has been harder on Ryan than it was on Allison.

KING: Is he older than you?

A. TRIPP: Yes. Yes. He's 28.

TRIPP: Because Ryan -- for Ryan, it's very hard for -- I mean, everyone has a mom. For Ryan, he was powerless to defend me. He had no voice. He had no voice during the Clinton impeachment. He wasn't interested in appearing on the cover of "GQ." He really just wanted his mom to be taken seriously. And I think with the breast cancer as well, he was sort of helpless to change it.

KING: Did he ever go with you to treatment?

TRIPP: No. No, Ryan doesn't deal well with this kind of thing.

KING: Hospitals are not his bag.

TRIPP: No, no. He's a wonderful young man. Has a great heart. But he doesn't deal as well with adversity as Allison does.

KING: You're all very close?

TRIPP: Yes.

A. TRIPP: Yes.

KING: What does Ryan do?

A. TRIPP: He works at a mortgage firm in Baltimore, Maryland, a broker.

KING: Is he married?

A. TRIPP: No. Not yet.

TRIPP: He's single.

KING: Do you have a boyfriend?

A. TRIPP: No, I do not.

KING: You must be chased. People must be after you.

A. TRIPP: No.

KING: No?

TRIPP: She did have a boyfriend.

A. TRIPP: Well, yeah.

TRIPP: At the moment...

A. TRIPP: Staying clear. Staying clear.

KING: We're going to go to break, come back, take a few more phone calls for Linda Tripp. Her daughter Allison Tripp will remain with us. And as we go to break, here's Linda with -- what's his name again -- I want to get it right.

TRIPP: Dieter.

A. TRIPP: Dieter. KING: How does he spell it?

TRIPP: D-I-E-T-E-R.

KING: Oh, Dieter?

TRIPP: Yes.

A. TRIPP: Dieter.

KING: With (ph) the (ph) Dieter. We'll be right back.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is an order for you. Yes. How many you like?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Three hundred and one when these are bound.

(CROSSTALK)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, I like that one.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KING: We're back with Linda Tripp and Allison Tripp. What is this story you have, you and your fiance?

TRIPP: Dieter has a shop called the Christmas Sleigh in Middleburg, Virginia. It's a wonderful European shop. Specializes in beautiful hand-made European -- that's what makes it unique, it's all European.

KING: And you brought something tonight?

TRIPP: I did. This was actually made in Germany. But it was...

KING: An ornament?

TRIPP: Designed by me. And it depicts the first White House in 1800. It's a limited edition. And the proceeds go to kids with cancer.

KING: In the back it says, "The President's House, 1800." They didn't call it the White House?

TRIPP: No, they didn't call it the White House. And it was inspired by something John Adams...

KING: Beautiful.

TRIPP: ... wrote to his wife Abigail on his second night in the White House. It was not a wonderful Christmas for him. And it -- what he wrote to her was, and that's what inspired this ornament, "I pray to heaven to bestow the best of blessings on this house, and all that shall hereafter inhabit it. May none but honest and wise men ever rule under this roof." And that was sort of the inspiration for this ornament.

KING: It is beautiful. It will be up on the King tree.

TRIPP: Great.

KING: To Toronto, hello.

CALLER: Hello.

KING: Toronto, yes, go ahead.

CALLER: Hi. I love your show, Larry.

KING: Thank you.

CALLER: If I understood Linda earlier on, she mentioned that since 1993, there had been things going on in the White House. Could she have not brought something out before the Clinton-Lewinsky affair?

KING: OK.

TRIPP: That's a very good question. And I ask you once again to put yourself in any civil servant's shoes. Because as a federal civil servant, if you're witnessing abuse and corruption, particularly in the White House, where do you go? That's the nexus for the Integrity and Accountability in Government Foundation of which I'm executive director. Now, there is a place for people to go. I had nowhere to go.

KING: And the White House is not covered?

TRIPP: They are not covered by the Privacy Act. They need -- people need help.

KING: And you can get more information at Lindatripp.com.

Vancouver, British Columbia, hello.

CALLER: Hi, Larry.

KING: Hi.

CALLER: Happy belated birthday.

KING: Thank you.

CALLER: Hi, Linda.

TRIPP: Hi.

CALLER: I was wondering, was your life ever threatened for revealing the truth about the Clinton-Monica Lewinsky affair?

TRIPP: Yes, repeatedly. And in fact, threats were made on the lives of my children as well.

KING: You received a threat, Allison?

A. TRIPP: It was actually left on my father's answering machine.

KING: A threat of harming you?

A. TRIPP: Yeah. Yes.

TRIPP: Yes.

KING: Did you report it?

A. TRIPP: I don't know.

KING: Did you?

TRIPP: I believe, I believe her father did, yes.

KING: Freehall, New Jersey, hello.

CALLER: Hi, Larry.

KING: Hi.

CALLER: Hi, Linda.

TRIPP: Hi.

CALLER: You are a hero for telling the truth. And I wanted to ask you, how do you deal with all this anger that people have towards you? You're remarkable.

TRIPP: Thank you. What I've always told my kids, and Allison can confirm this, is actions speak louder than words. My actions over the last five years should be pretty clear evidence that this was not about self-enrichment, political gain, partisan interest. It was about good government. It was about right and wrong. And so I've had this steady belief over time that people would come to understand this, particularly in light of what happened post-Monica Lewinsky in the Clinton White House.

KING: We only have a minute. Do you think history's going to vindicate you?

TRIPP: I think history will see things through a prism that will make it easier to understand that it wasn't black and white. It wasn't Linda Tripp betrayer, Bill Clinton victim. Instead, it was a president who was fixing a court case.

KING: Good luck in the nuptials.

TRIPP: Thank you.

KING: Good luck with the health.

TRIPP: Thank you so much.

KING: When do you go for your next checkup?

TRIPP: Soon. Three weeks.

KING: Don't put it off.

TRIPP: I will not.

A. TRIPP: I won't let her.

KING: Stay healthy.

TRIPP: Thank you.

A. TRIPP: Thank you.

KING: Thank you, Allison.

TRIPP: Thank you for having us.

KING: Our guests have been Linda Tripp for most of the hour, and in the last moments, her daughter, Allison Tripp. For more information on the Integrity Foundation, it's LindaTripp.com. And Linda is now officially engaged, and will be marrying in the spring.
And I'll be back and tell you about tomorrow night's program right after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KING: Tomorrow night, we'll meet "The Bachelorette." Yes, Trista, and her new husband, Ryan, of "The Bachelorette" fame. Trista and Ryan tomorrow night.

Lots of good news from Linda.

I'm happy for her and all...but she had to make an "announcement" on Larry King's Show? Does anyone else think that's kinda weird?

That ingrate pig Lewinsky can babble on all she wants, but one undeniable truth remains:

Those tapes that Linda Tripp made SAVED HER LIFE.

but she had to make an "announcement" on Larry King's Show? Does anyone else think that's kinda weird?

I don't. That's the only reason to tolerate the softball questions on that lame old man's show: to plug something.

Yes, they did save her life. It's amazing how so many Americans lived in fear of their lives for simply knowing the truth about President and Mrs. Clinton--and how the media ignored that.

I'm happy for her and all...but she had to make an "announcement" on Larry King's Show? Does anyone else think that's kinda weird?

She mentioned that she is getting married .. is that it?

--and how the media ignored that.

IMO .. the media is just as guilty as the Clinton's

That's why we made a point of "talking" to the reporters in the swamp at the White House back then.

Thank you for trying .. some in the media had already made up their minds back in 92, they'd cover for Clinton's no matter what and they are still doing it

Times are different from 92 and people are seeing what the media is doing

Linda looks very happy about getting married .. I'm glad to see that

What I witnessed in the Clinton White House, I wish I could share with the American people. Because it was as petty as taking gifts, and it was as gross as Waco

This is the kind of thing she's been saying all along. Hinting she knows some terrible things she won't say. Nothing is stopping her. When Linda is ready to say it then I'll have a reason to listen to her on Larry King. I'm not very interested in her wedding plans.

It's amazing how so many Americans lived in fear of their lives for simply knowing the truth about President and Mrs. Clinton--and how the media ignored that.

They still do. That's why they're still around.

Linda looks very happy about getting married .. I'm glad to see that.

It's great to see her happy. She's had a very rough ride.

the media is just as guilty as the Clinton's

That point is the most important for everyone to remember. The mainstream media is the downfall of this country. After they get a Democrat elected next year, it's all over. Their job will be complete. And this country will be the weak sister that they have dreamed of. They are tearing this country down. They're very good at it.

Check out that list of invitees out in Hollywood for the "HATE BUSH" night tomorrow. What a crowd. They're tearing the country down. They're relentless. The communists and socialists have been here in great numbers for a good one hundred years.

Do you think once Hillary is out of the Pres. race (2009) and the Clintons are gone from the electoral process for good, they'll never be gone from public life) Linda will spill her guts on all the other stuff that went on?

Times are different from 92 and people are seeing what the media is doing.

Not nearly enough people are seeing.

Not nearly enough! Not even close.

Most Americans are still severely clueless.

whats the point of this post....to announce Tripp is getting married? Why is this in breaking news?

you mean to tell me that larry didnt ask "who killed vince foster?" oh man now we'll never know... :)

Linda ....go girl

Larry ....F O dunderhead

<< Do you think once Hitlery is out of the pres race (2007) and the Cli'tons are gone from the electoral process for [Ever] .... >>

Don't forget that their ugly spawn -- and/or Bassmouth Hubbell's -- has been "groomed" [Appropriate word -- so's MY dog] for what the lunatic left likes to call "a public service career" -- and the rest of us call a life-time of lying, looting, thieving and free-loading at the public trough.