Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton explained her conflicted opinion of fellow former first lady Melania Trump in her newly released book, in which she also detailed an awkward encounter with Donald Trump s wife involving other former first ladies.

Hillary Clinton never quite knew what to make of the third Mrs. Trump, she wrote in Something Lost, Something Gained, released Tuesday, according to extracts from the memoir published by USA Today .

On a gut level, I have never believed that a wife bears responsibility for the actions of her husband. But did she aid and abet her husbands worst instincts? Clinton asked, adding, Was she quietly complicit in his bigotry and hate-mongering?

Melania Trump, of course, defended her husbands birtherism attacks on former President Barack Obama as far back as in 2011.

Clinton also recalled when she and first lady Jill Biden and former first ladies Michelle Obama and Laura Bush met Melania Trump last year at a memorial service for Rosalynn Carter, the wife of former President Jimmy Carter.

Melania had a look on her face very smiley but uncertain that reminded me of the little kid at the birthday party who doesnt know anyone and is waiting at the edge of the circle, hoping people are going to be nice, Clinton wrote, per excerpts from the book.

We were. We all went up to her. Jill air-kissed her cheek, and Michelle Obama gave her one of her signature big hugs, Clinton wrote.

I can appreciate how awkward it must have been, she added, not knowing what kind of reception she would get after all her husbands insults directed at us Bushes, Bidens, Obamas, and Clintons alike.