Bill Clinton on Hillary: 'I Trust Her With My Life'

The Clinton marriage has been the subject of nearly a quarter-century of speculation, head-scratching, and no small amount of derision—a condition unlikely to ease up as Hillary Clinton makes a second bid for the White House. As her campaign ramps up in earnest, Bill Clinton gave what CNN describes as an "emotional interview" to Jake Tapper in which he discussed one of America's more formidable political unions. Highlights:

• On whether she's trustworthy: "I trust her with my life, and have on more than one occasion. ... A, I know her; B, I know the truth, and C, I trust the American people."

• On when the going got rough: "Whenever I had trouble, she was a rock in our family. I was the youngest former governor in American history in 1980 on election night. I got killed in the Reagan landslide. People I had appointed to office ... would not shake hands with me. My career prospects were not particularly bright. And she never blinked. She just said, 'Hey. It'll turn around. I believe in you. You've got this.'"
• On the state of the marriage: "We built a life together based on the things we cared about, the things that we loved. We were blessed with a daughter who turned out pretty well, I'd say. We have been very blessed.
• On Election 2016: "It's different when you're our age. We'll be fine, no matter what happens here. But she wants to serve, and I want her to serve if the majority of the American people want her to serve."

(More Hillary Clinton 2016 stories.)