A former top aide to Hillary Clinton says there's a 'not zero' chance she'll challenge Trump in 2020
- A former senior aide to 2016 Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton says there's a "not zero" chance she could throw her hat in the ring to run for president a third time.
- After mostly staying out of the political fray since her loss in 2016, Clinton has begun to reemerge - but not everyone in the Democratic Party is happy about it.
- Some argue that while the Clintons are adept fundraisers, their mixed perceptions among the party and decades of political baggage is hurting the Democrats.
A former aide to 2016 Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton says there's a "not zero" chance she could throw her hat in the ring a third time in 2020.
Philippe Reines, Clinton's former senior adviser and Deputy Secretary of State for Strategic Communications, told Politico in an interview published Friday that just because Clinton has lost twice before doesn't mean she should be counted out for 2020.
"It's curious why Hillary Clinton's name isn't in the mix - either conversationally or in formal polling - as a 2020 candidate," he said.
"She's younger than Donald Trump by a year. She's younger than Joe Biden by four years. Is it that she's run before? This would be Bernie Sanders' second time, and Biden's third time," he added. "Is it lack of support? She had 65 million people vote for her."
After mostly laying low and staying out of the political fray since her devastating 2016 loss, Clinton has become more active on social media and is reaching out to White House reporters to repair her previously contentious relationship with the press, according to Politico. She is also set to kick off a speaking tour with her husband and former President Bill Clinton.
Some Democrats, however, see Clinton's reemergence on the political stage as a nuisance rather than a boon for the party, given the Clintons' complicated legacy and combined political baggage have polarized many in the party and made them easy targets for Republican attacks.
Hillary raised eyebrows in a recent interview with CBS by claiming that Bill's infamous affair with former White House intern Monica Lewinsky was not an abuse of power, prompting ire from fellow Democrats who said she distracted from the party's midterm message.
Republicans, on the other hand, seem confident they could defeat Hillary again. White House press secretary Sarah Sanders sarcastically tweeted, "Christmas coming early this year?" in response to the speculation that Hillary could run a third time.
But Reines says that Hillary's fundraising prowess and decades of experience fighting tough battles shouldn't be taken for granted when it comes to taking on Trump.
"Chalking the loss up to her being a failed candidate is an oversimplification," he said. "She is smarter than most, tougher than most, she could raise money easier than most, and it was an absolute fight to the death."