(Image source from: Bill Clinton Was Asked About His High-Priced Speeches and He Couldn’t Have Been More Awkward})

During a recent interview with NBC News, former President Bill Clinton defended the high-priced speeches he has given in the 15 years following his departure from the White House.

Clinton said that if Hillary Clinton is elected president in 2016, that wouldn’t stop him from giving his pricey speeches, which often come with a fee in excess of $500,000.

Despite having a reported net worth of $55 million, which is the second-highest net worth of any U.S president ever, Clinton said he needs the money to pay his bills:

“I gotta pay our bills. And I also give a lot of it to the foundation every year.”

During the interview, Clinton justified his expensive speeches by claiming that he spends several hours each day researching and preparing for upcoming speeches:

“I spend a couple of hours a day just doing the research. People like to hear me speak.”

Clinton doesn’t accept every speaking offer, and he told NBC News that his team extensively vets each organization that requests him:

We do our best to vet them. And I have turned down a lot of them. If I think there’s something wrong with it, I don’t take it.”

Clinton’s claim that he needs $500,000 or more for some speeches to pay his bills has received lots of criticism, surprisingly even on MSNBC Monday morning.

- Manohar