Kamala Harris, Bill Clinton to hold discussion on women empowerment, sparking #MeToo concerns

Vice President Kamala Harris will join former President Bill Clinton for a discussion about “empowering women and girls” Friday, the Clinton Foundation announced.

The foundation said in a press release Tuesday that Ms. Harris and the former president will have a “one-on-one conversation” about the “impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on women, and empowering women and girls in the U.S. and around the world.”

News of the event, hosted by the foundation’s Clinton Global Initiative University in partnership with Howard University, Ms. Harris’ alma mater, sparked a backlash from both sides of the aisle on social media due to Mr. Clinton‘s controversial treatment of women in light of the #MeToo movement.

Juanita Broaddrick, who famously accused Mr. Clinton of rape in 1999, responded to the news in disbelief. 

Ms. Broaddrick accused Mr. Clinton, then-Arkansas attorney general, of raping her in a Little Rock hotel room while she was volunteering for his 1978 gubernatorial bid. He has denied the accusation through attorneys. 

Tara Reade, a former Senate staffer who last year accused now-President Biden of sexually assaulting her in 1993, also weighed in on Friday’s discussion involving Ms. Harris.

Friday’s discussion is part of a four-day event that will also include former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, activist Stacey Abrams, and D.C. Mayor Murial Bowser, among others, to “explore topics on COVID-19 recovery, empowering women and girls in the U.S. and around the world, restoring faith in democracy, environmental justice, and creating systemic change,” according to the press release.

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