If the Democrats win the midterms, a lot of people are going to prison |
If the Democrats win the midterms, a lot of people are going to prison
October 25, 2026 — 2:00am
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Laura Schwartz worked in Bill Clinton’s White House for eight years, ending up as Director of Events. She is now a US political commentator, currently focusing on the midterm Congressional elections on November 3.
Fitz: Laura, thank you for your time. You started working for Bill Clinton at just the age of 19 in 1993. Late in the evening when the wine’s flowing freely and you’re with your friends, what’s your best Bill Clinton war story? “I’ll never forget the time the president said to me ...”
LS: [Laughs.] That’s going to have to be when we’re actually having martinis, and they’ll be great stories! But I was actually just thinking about something today, as Bill Clinton goes out on the trail for the first time for the midterms, down in Florida for the gubernatorial race. Back in 1996, after one of his debates against Republican nominee Bob Dole, I said to the president something about him running “against” Dole. And he said, “You know, Laura in a lot of ways, I’m running with Bob Dole because here’s the deal: he has different ideas and different solutions to solve the problems of the American people today than I have. But we both agree on what those problems are. I just feel like my ideas will be more effective and better than his.”
Fitz: This being an obvious contrast with today?
LS: Yes. President Clinton was such a policy wonk, and so was Bob Dole. But they were cordial to each other. Years later, Bob Dole said, “You know, Bill Clinton was my opponent, not my enemy.” And unfortunately, that’s not where we’re at right now. We’re not even at that point right now on state and local elections. It is much closer to enmity between political opponents.
Fitz: So you’ve made your way since as a very successful nonpartisan pundit. You’ve been with Fox News, CNN, CBS, BBC, ITV, and you were a regular guest and host on Larry King Live. Has it been difficult to remain nonpartisan in these fraught times when the schism between left and right looks more like the Grand Canyon?
LS: Absolutely, Peter, and I’ll tell you why. Ever since Trump came on the scene in 2016, with his divisive rhetoric – making fun of those with physical and mental disabilities, outright making fun of them on stage – that really tore into me as a human being. And that’s my problem with Donald Trump: there is no connection to the human condition to create an empathy that can lead you towards policies that can make an impact on those of all demographics, geographics, socioeconomics, and that’s what politics and politicking should be about.
Fitz: So how do you stay non-partisan?
LS: Personally, I’ve voted for both Democratic and Republican presidential candidates. I try to just stick to explaining why politicians are saying what they’re saying, and how this could affect the American people, how this can........