Bill Clinton reveals the characteristic American voters need to elect a woman as president

Former President Bill Clinton suggested 'maybe' the United States is not ready for a woman president after the reelection of Donald Trump but he is still hopeful he'll see it in his lifetime.

The 78-year-old former president was asked in a recent interview about the 2024 presidential election where Trump beat Vice President Kamala Harris only eight years after he also won against Clinton's wife former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

'Do you think part of the issue is just that America is just not ready for a female president?' Clinton was asked by CBS News' Tracy Smith.

'Maybe,' he responded. 'I think in some ways we've moved to the right as a reaction to all the turmoil.'

But Clinton said he thinks if Hillary had been nominated in 2008, she 'would have walked in just like Obama did.'

Clinton was asked if he thinks the country has changed since then. 

 'Well, I think all of these cultural battles we're fighting make it harder for a woman to win,' he acknowledged. 

Clinton said he does not think the issue has more to do with party than gender, but he does think a member of the GOP would have an easier time.

'I think it would probably be easier for a conservative Republican woman to win,' he added. 

Clinton sat down for the interview with CBS News Sunday Morning recently as he promotes his latest book 'Citizen.'

It comes after he hit the campaign trail in the final weeks of the 2024 election to aggressively campaign for Harris in battleground states.

The 42nd president said he still believes there will be a woman president elected 'pretty soon.'

Tracy pressed Clinton on how soon and whether it would be in his lifetime. 

'Oh yeah,' Clinton responded with a smile before pointing out she was asking the question of an 'old man.'

To date, only two women have received a major political party nomination for president, Clinton in 2016 and Harris this year after Biden exited the race in July.

Both were Democrats and both lost to Trump. But a growing number of women are running for president.

Former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley was the most recent Republican woman to make a bid for the White House. She lost earlier this year to Trump.

GOP businesswoman Carly Fiorina ran in a bruising 2016 primary where Trump first clinched the party nomination. 

More recently, a record number of women ran in the 2020 Democratic presidential primary including four sitting U.S. senators before Biden eventually won the nomination.

Clinton told CBS News he hopes he is around for the next presidential election. 

'Now it's President Trump's turn in the barrel,' Clinton said. 'It depends on what he does and how it plays.'

Clinton said at some point the president-elect will have to consider whether he still thinks at this point in his life 'unquestionable domination' is the most important thing.

'That's not what a democracy is about,' the former president said. 

Asked if he thinks Trump could have a 'change of heart,' Clinton responded that 'he might.' 

In the meantime, Clinton believes everyone needs to remain diligent and be willing to stand up for what's right.