20/20: Linda Tripp Interview

Jan . 12 -- “I was essentially where every scandal was born,” Linda Tripp tells 20/20, responding to the many accusations that she tried to stir up scandal in the Clinton White House.

In Tripp’s first TV interview in nearly two years, which aired Friday on ABCNEWS, she speaks bluntly about her recent plastic surgery and sheds new light on her relationship with former intern Monica Lewinsky.

Reluctant Alliance

Contrary to the conventional wisdom that Tripp and Lewinsky were close friends, Tripp says she did not have a friendship with the former intern. She says Lewinsky “accosted” her in the Pentagon where they worked and “blurted out” her involvement with President Clinton.

Tripp said she was “completely fascinated and horrified at the same time.”

While not interested in befriending a 22-year-old, Tripp became the intern’s confidante because, she says, “something kicked in with Monica, she was so completely needy.” Tripp also knew that Lewinsky was very well-connected and believed rebuffing her could be dangerous to her career.

Tripp said she views Lewinsky as an emotionally unstable young woman who was overcome by an obsession with the president.

Tripp tried to justify her secret tape-recordings of conversations with Lewinsky, explaining that it was the only way to avoid a perjury charge. “I found myself in the crosshairs of the president of the United States,” she says, “Remember, I was going under oath, so was he, so was Monica. They were both going to lie. They said, essentially, I’m gonna be the one convicted for perjury.”

'I Was Horrified'

Tripp says she understands why many Americans view her as a modern-day Judas.

But she argues that the White House portrayed her as a villain to discredit her testimony. She also broaches the subject of her appearance, saying her looks made it easy for the public to put her down.

“I did not realize how ugly I was ‘til I saw the pictures,” she says, “I was horrified, as was the rest of the country.” Although she’s now comfortable with her looks, she says her face-lifts did not heal her confidence.