During Ethel Kennedy’s funeral service in Washington, D.C., former President Bill Clinton left attendees bewildered with an unusual eulogy, calling the late Kennedy matriarch “the cat’s meow” and recalling her “innocent” flirting with him. Clinton’s remark drew cautious laughter, as he fondly remembered the 96-year-old widow of Robert F. Kennedy in front of a packed audience of politicians, Kennedy family members, and former presidents Biden and Obama.
Adding to the odd tribute, Clinton joked with Ethel years ago about the country’s declining birth rate, using her large family as a model for Americans to follow, given her 11 children, 34 grandchildren, and 24 great-grandchildren. While the comments were meant to be light-hearted, they sparked mixed reactions from attendees, with some finding them amusing while others raised eyebrows.
The eulogy continued a pattern of recent Clinton gaffes. Just days before, he faced backlash after mistakenly attributing a murder linked to immigration policies to former President Trump. The former president’s remarks at the funeral come as he faces ongoing public scrutiny over his connections to Jeffrey Epstein, adding further layers of controversy to his already colorful public image.
