Alt-History: If Bill Clinton Paid Hush Money to Paramours, Falsified Business Records Before 1992 Election

How would Republicans react? Comparison to Trump in 2016

If Bill Clinton was caught before or after the 1992 or 1996 presidential election arranging corporate hush money payments to Gennifer Flowers and Paula Jones, feloniously falsifying records, and breaking campaign finance laws by claiming the money was simply reimbursements to his attorney for retainer fees and legal advice, what would have been the response of Republicans?

I think we know the answer because they spent the 1990s talking about the importance of presidential character, and gathering evidence to impeach Clinton, which they did in 1999, for far less serious violations. Their reaction was very different from what it is to the conviction of former president Donald Trump in 2024.

How about Democrats? Would they have defended Clinton?