Hillary Clinton 'wants back in' as Bloomberg campaign tries to quiet speculation she could be his VP pick

Jonathan Drake, Mario Anzuoni/REUTERS

Matt Drudge claimed that Bloomberg was eyeing Clinton as a potential pick for Vice President.

• Michael Bloomberg's campaign is attempting to quiet recent "speculation" that Hillary Clinton could be his choice for a running mate.
• "We are focused on the primary and the debate, not VP speculation," the campaign said.
• A source close to Clinton told Fox News that she "wants back in," even though she's previously said her serving as VP was not likely.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

The campaign of billionaire Michael Bloomberg attempted to halt rumors that he was considering failed presidential candidate and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton for his running mate in the 2020 election.

"We are focused on the primary and the debate, not VP speculation," Bloomberg communication director Jason Schechter said in a statement.

Citing "sources close to Bloomberg's campaign," Matt Drudge of the Drudge Report, a right-wing news aggregator, tweeted that the former New York City mayor "is considering Hillary as running mate, after their polling found the Bloomberg-Clinton combination would be a formidable force." Drudge also reported that Bloomberg was considering moving his permanent residence to one of his homes in Colorado or Florida "since the electoral college makes it hard for a POTUS and VPOTUS from the same state."

Clinton did not respond to a Business Insider request for comment.

According to Fox News, an unidentified source close to Clinton said that she "wants back in" following her loss to Trump during the 2016 election. While Clinton has not yet commented on the report, it's not impossible that the former first lady would be eyeing a way back into politics following her defeat almost four years ago.

But she has not been quiet about the 2020 election and has faced particular criticism over her comments about Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, her 2016 primary rival. Earlier in February on an appearance on the "Ellen" DeGeneres show, Clinton had suggested, though, that she wasn't likely to accept an offer to be vice president.

Clinton told DeGeneres that she had turned down two previous offers to be former President Barack Obama's vice president, but added that "many, many, many people" were putting her "under enormous pressure" to get involved in the 2020 race.

"I never say never because I believe in serving my country, but it's never going to happen," the former first lady told DeGeneres.

Despite her 2016 loss, Clinton has remained active in politics, publishing "What Happened," a memoir about her failed presidential bid and throughout the past four years has openly criticized her formal rival and his administration.

In December 2019, Clinton spoke out against Sanders' treatment of her candidacy in 2016 on an appearance on Howard Stern's radio show, arguing that the Vermont senator, who endorsed her in the general election, did not do enough to bring Democrats together following her winning of the party's primary.

"And I hope he doesn't do it again to whoever gets the nomination," Clinton told Stern. "Once is enough."

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