Bill Clinton on opposing President Trump's agenda: "We cannot throw the legacy of this country away"

President Bill Clinton criticized President Trump's actions attacking the rule of law, and predicted that the president would pay a price among those who believe his actions are un-American.

"We've never seen anything like this before in my lifetime – somebody that says, 'Whatever I want should be the law of the land. It's my way or the highway.' And most Americans don't agree with that," Clinton said in an interview with "CBS Sunday Morning." "But I like to think that he's paid a price for this, you know, name-calling and throwing his weight around … I think it's made him less popular."

He said opposition to Mr. Trump would be bolstered if Democrats win governors' races at play this year, and win back the House in 2026.

"Look, only elections are going to change this," he said. "But I do think the courts are getting their dander up. I think that him shutting law firms out of representing their clients before federal agencies and in federal buildings, because he doesn't agree with their position – that ain't America. We've never done that. The whole purpose of having a legal system is to have both sides be heard."

Clinton said that, so far, the courts are stopping the president, "including a lot of judges he appointed. And you know, he is looking for ways to basically defy all these court orders. But I think he'll have a hard time doing that. And if he does, I think it will hurt him in America."

Asked if he thought the only thing the Democratic Party could agree on was its antipathy towards Trump, Clinton replied, "If I thought that were true, I would. But I don't think it's true. I just think that most people don't have any idea – most people who are criticizing the Democrats right now – have no idea how difficult it is to decide the right thing to do. I think it's not as easy as people think.

"That will come. Elections will happen. And we will see.

"President Trump has a right to do what he thinks is right; he's doing it," Clinton said. "The courts are doing their jobs. There will be other elections. But someone needs to stand up and say, 'Damn it, what we have in common matters more. We cannot throw the legacy of this country away. We cannot destroy other people's trust in us. We need to preserve that and find a way to work together, and not humiliate other people just so we can win.' We gotta just calm down and try to pull people together again. That's what I think."

Last November, Clinton released his book, "Citizen: My Life After the White House," and talked with "Sunday Morning" about the importance of citizens to "stand up for what we think is right."

The following month, Clinton, then 78, had a health scare that landed him in the hospital. "It turned out to be no big deal," he said. "I basically kind of lost my balance, and I knew I was sick, and I went to the hospital and checked in and they said I was severely dehydrated. And I got great care, and I left the next day."

As for his health today, he said, "Far as I know, it's great. But when you're older, you have to be more careful to stay hydrated."

Asked about a recent book on President Joe Biden which suggested people around him had seen signs of cognitive and physical decline, Clinton said he never saw any cognitive decline, and did not feel that Biden was unfit to run for President. "I thought he was a good president. The only concern I thought he had to deal with was, could anybody do that job until they were 86?" Clinton said. "And we'd had several long talks. I had never seen him and walked away thinking, He can't do this anymore. He was always on top of his briefs.

"I haven't read the book. And I saw President Biden not very long ago, and I thought he was in good shape. But the book didn't register with me 'cause I never saw him that way."

Asked why he hasn't read the book, Clinton replied, "I didn't want to. 'Cause he's not president anymore, and I think he did a good job. And I think we are facing challenges today without precedent in our history. And some people are trying to use this as a way to blame him for the fact that Trump was reelected."

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Story produced by John D'Amelio. Editor: Jason Schmidt.

See also:

• Bill Clinton
• Donald Trump