Bill Clinton, 78, On Being a Grandparent: 'I’ve Never Been So Happy to Be Bossed Around'

It’s been nearly 24 years since President Bill Clinton left the Oval Office at age 54, and those years haven’t exactly been devoted to rest and relaxation. In his new memoir, Citizen: My Life After the White House (Nov. 19), Clinton revisits his last few decades, including helming the Clinton Foundation, and, improbably, writing a thriller with James Patterson (Clinton’s a huge thriller fan).

We asked him about the memoir, being a grandparent, how he relaxes and stays fit, and more.

You write that for political leaders and other famous people, their “public persona never captures the whole person.” What would people be surprised to know about you?

I think people would be surprised to learn that most — not all, but most — politicians are real, three-dimensional people trying their level best to make the right decisions and do a good job representing the people they serve. We all have hopes and fears, good days and bad days like anybody else.  We lose something when we turn each other into two-dimensional cartoons. It’s good politics in the short term to demonize people and ignore their fundamental humanity, but it’s a lousy way to run a country.

As for something more specific that people might not know about me: I am hopelessly addicted to the New York Times “Spelling Bee” game. I work on it every morning, and I don’t quite feel like my day’s complete until I reach “Queen Bee.” It keeps me sharp.  Plus, along with watching Jeopardy!, it’s one of the many things Hillary and I routinely do together!

What is your relationship with your grandkids like?

I see them as often as I can, with phone and FaceTime calls in between. When we’re together, we read, work on puzzles, talk about their interests, and what they’ve been doing in and out of school. But mostly, I do what I’m told! I’m glad to do whatever they want to do, and I’ve never been so happy to be bossed around!

Chelsea Clinton with her newborn baby Aidan, husband Marc Mezvinsky, and parents Bill and Hillary Clinton in 2016.

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Are you optimistic about your grandchildren’s (and America’s) future?   

I’m optimistic about my grandchildren’s future because they have two wonderful, caring parents [Chelsea Clinton, 44, and Marc Mezvinsky, 46] who are raising them to be brave and kind, with a responsibility to build a better world where all children, including those growing up in less privileged circumstances, have the same chances to thrive.

In the near term, though, I’m worried about the country they’ll be living in and whether they’ll have the rights, freedoms and opportunities every child deserves. It’s up to all of us to do whatever we can to safeguard our democracy, for all our kids’ and grandkids’ sake.