Clinton’s hands remain incredibly clean, don’t they, and Tony Blair’s smile remains as wide as ever. I view these guises with profound contempt.

Pinter’s line is a characteristically caustic political judgment: he contrasts the public “guises” of powerful leaders—Clinton’s apparent moral spotless-ness and Blair’s ever-present geniality—with what he implies are far darker realities behind those performances. The emphasis on “hands” and “smile” points to image-management as a form of concealment, suggesting that charisma and respectable presentation can launder responsibility for state violence or unethical policy. By calling these appearances “guises” and declaring “profound contempt,” Pinter frames political leadership as theatrical deception and signals his refusal to grant the usual deference to authority or to the rhetoric of humanitarian intent.