Hillary Clinton Adviser Says She Has Not Ruled Out 2020 Run
Longtime Clinton adviser Philippe Reines said Wednesday that Hillary Clinton has not ruled out running in 2020 and would consider doing so if she thought she had the best odds of beating President Trump.
“If she thought she had the best odds of beating Donald Trump I think she would think about it long and hard,” Reines told Fox News host Tucker Carlson.
Reines’ remarks came a day after the New York Times reported that establishment Democratic donors have been discussing what a late presidential bid by Hillary Clinton would mean for the 2020 race.
Carlson then asked whether the Democratic Party has moved too far left since Clinton last ran for her to be a viable candidate in 2020.
“Well, look, this is a huge if, but if she would jump in for whatever reason, and the party has moved someplace that she hasn’t, then she won’t get the votes,” Reines responded. “If she would run and people would think she’s too left, too right, too center, or whatever you want to call it, that’s the beauty of it. They get to vote against whoever they want.”
Earlier this month, Clinton teased the possibility that she would throw her hat into the crowded Democratic primary field, responding to a tweet from President Trump goading her to enter the race with, “Don’t tempt me. Do your job.”
However, Reines assured viewers that the unsuccessful 2016 Democratic nominee’s decision to run again would not be based on “anxiety” about the current field of 2020 Democrats.
“She really likes a lot of the people running,” he said. “She thought about some of them for her vice presidency.”
“But there might be a reason that she’d be the best person, not only to beat Donald Trump, but to govern after Donald Trump, which is a part we don’t talk about much,” Reines added. “And, look, you can make fun of her all you want, but 65 million people voted for her and that’s second more to anyone except Barack Obama.”
Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren currently leads among the over a dozen Democratic 2020 candidates, trailed by former vice president Joe Biden and Senator Bernie Sanders.
