Bill Clinton and Dr. Ruth.Photo: Gotham/GC Images
Dr. Ruth Westheimer, the Holocaust survivor turned Israeli soldier turned quick-witted sex therapist, has aremarkable life storythat has inspired millions around the nation — butas she turns 95, one potentially pivotal conversation still stands out in her mind: the time, she tells PEOPLE, that she helped convince then-Arkansas Gov.Bill Clintonto set his sights on the White House.
Westheimer says it was thanks to her and “some other smart people” that Clinton ultimately decided to run for president in 1992. “I reminded him [at a recent event] that many years ago in Arkansas I saw him — I saw this handsome, tall man. I said, ‘You should run for president. I will vote for you,’ and the rest is history, as you know.”
In response, a spokesperson for the Office of President Bill Clinton tells PEOPLE, “Dr. Ruth has given a lot of good advice over the years, but maybe none better than telling a young Arkansas Governor he should run for President!”
According to Westheimer, Clinton is always quick to credit her for the enthusiasm she showed him before he ran.
At the event where Westheimer saw Clinton in May — nearly a year after the twosparked internet buzz for sitting togetherat Serena Williams' US Open game — the duo spent a moment catching up. Westheimer tells PEOPLE she won’t divulge the details of their chat, except that it wasn’t about the weather — “that’s too boring.”
“He kissed me on my head,” she says, “andHillarywas there and Hillary smiled, and I had a great time chatting with him.”
Bill Clinton talks to Dr. Ruth Westheimer shortly after announcing his 1992 presidential campaign.Chrystyna Czajkowski/AP Photo
Westheimer’slongtime friendshipwith the 42nd president of the United States iswell-documented, dating back to the 1980s.
“Dr. Ruth traveled to Arkansas in the ’80s to visit her daughter, Miriam,” a source close to the Clintons explained to PEOPLE in 2022, adding that Bill got wind of Ruth’s visit and requested a meeting with the Westheimers at the governor’s office.
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Through the decades, the pair have been photographed together on a number of occasions, often bearing wide grins or doing silly poses that accentuate their comical height difference (Ruth proudly stands at 4 feet, 7 inches, with the former president towering overhead at 6 feet, 2 inches).
Together they have attended charity events, the Grammys, a White House state dinner honoring Moroccan royalty, and — as of last year — a US Open match where aretiring tennis legendpulled off a win.
source: people.com
