Story highlights Hillary Clinton says she has not been speaking with anyone from Team Biden regarding a potential bid

"I just want the vice president to decide to do what's right for him and his family," Clinton said

Washington (CNN) Hillary Clinton says she hasn't had any back-channel discussions with Joe Biden's camp about whether the vice president will challenge her in the 2016 Democratic primary.

Instead, she said, she'll leave it to Biden to decide -- amid "the grief and the heartbreak" of the death of his son, Beau -- whether to run.

"I just want the vice president to decide to do what's right for him and his family," Clinton told reporters Wednesday after a campaign event in Ankeny, Iowa, calling Biden a "friend."

Speculation about a Biden run has taken off in recent days as Clinton has continued to be dogged by her use of a personal email address on a private server during her tenure as secretary of state. Biden's aides and allies have discussed how he might mount a campaign, and the vice president has taken meetings -- both with top Democratic operatives and with Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, a progressive icon.

Clinton said she understands Biden faces a "really hard" decision.

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