Bill Clinton Has Sat Out Hillary's Past Debates

No woman, let alone a former first lady, has ever made it as close to the White House as Hillary Clinton has. With the 2016 presidential election entering its final stages, the question remains whether her husband, former president Bill Clinton, will attend the first presidential debate.

The first presidential debate between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump will take place on Sept. 26. Clinton has called her husband her "not-so-secret-weapon" before, in reference to his ability to campaign for her, so it seems only natural that he may be in attendance to cheer her on. However, he didn't attend any of her debates in 2008, so the question is still up in the air.

Bill has indeed campaigned for his wife, and he has been supportive of her campaign, as seen through his Democratic National Convention speech. He spoke personally about his life with her, from the moment he said he fell in love with her, to her accomplishments during her time in office as a senator and as secretary of state. Bill urged Americans to vote for his wife, saying, "Hillary will make us stronger together. You know it because she spent a lifetime doing it."

Bill has not attended any of Hillary's debates as of yet. However, he did tweet a picture of himself watching a Democratic debate on television.

The absence of Bill from debates so far has been a wise decision on the Clinton campaign’s part, as his presence could shift attention away from Hillary. Trump publicly bashed Bill's role in Hillary's campaign, as well as the Monica Lewinsky scandal, during his presidency. When asked by Chris Cuomo what this has to do with Hillary's candidacy, Trump alleged she was a “total enabler” of her husband’s behavior, and claimed he would be a better president for women than her, according to CNN.

For her part, Hillary Clinton has not directly responded to Trump's claims, instead calling his rhetoric "dangerous," People magazine reported. Bill has also asserted that he is not her secret weapon when it comes to preparation for the debate. "I mean, you know, she knows a lot, she'll work hard, she'll be ready," ABC reported him saying.

The first presidential debate will take place on September 26, and it will be hosted by Hofstra University in Hempstead, NY from 9 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. ET. The debate will be viewable on many platforms, including through live-streaming on websites such as Twitter and Facebook.