'I never say never': Hillary Clinton refuses to close the door on a 2020 presidential run

William Cummings | USA TODAY

Show Caption Hide Caption Analyst: Bloomberg worried Dems can't beat Trump Billionaire Michael Bloomberg opens the door to a 2020 Democratic presidential campaign, warning the current field of candidates is ill equipped to defeat President Donald Trump. (Nov. 8)

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton refused to close the door on the possibility of entering the 2020 presidential race, telling an interviewer Tuesday, "I never say never to anything."

The 2016 Democratic presidential nominee was asked during a BBC Radio interview if she was "100%" certain she would not run again. Clinton replied that she thinks "all the time about what kind of president I would have been, and what I would have done differently, and what I think it would have meant to our country and the world."

"So of course, I think about it. I think about it all the time," she said.

When she was asked a second time if she was ruling out another run, Clinton again declined to explicitly say she would not do it.

"I will certainly tell you, I'm under enormous pressure from many, many, many people to think about it," she said. "But as of this moment, sitting here in this studio talking to you, that is absolutely not in my plans."

If Clinton does plan to enter the fray, time is not on her side as the filing deadlines have already passed in at least two states and others are fast approaching. And Clinton said Tuesday, "it's way past time" to get in the race.

Trump vs. Clinton: Donald Trump to Hillary Clinton: Run for president again! Clinton to Trump: Do your job!

🗣️"Never, never, never say never" @HillaryClinton refuses to rule out running again to be President of the USA



To hear @EmmaBarnett's full interview with Hillary and @ChelseaClinton, check out #EmmaBarnettGetsAnswers on @BBCSounds



🎧Available here: https://t.co/VqEUpMJ4jd pic.twitter.com/bmPbM5CfZS — BBC Radio 5 Live (@bbc5live) November 12, 2019

Speculation about a 2020 rematch between Clinton and President Donald Trump, the man who defeated her in 2016, has swirled virtually since the moment the election results were announced three years ago.

Though she declared in March that "I'm not running," pundits began to rekindle the idea of a 2020 Clinton campaign after former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg's unexpected moves toward a late entry into the race. Former Massachusetts Gov. Duval Patrick is also said to be considering a last-minute run.

Bloomberg is "increasingly concerned that the current field of candidates is not well positioned" to beat Trump, said his adviser Howard Wolfson. The New York Times reported Monday that wealthy Democratic donors have been hoping for fresh faces to enter the race amid concerns about fundraising totals and a lack of confidence in the strength of the leading candidates.

Mark Penn, who was chief strategist for Clinton's 2008 presidential run, said Bloomberg's move could prod Clinton to consider a run and decide there's "still a political logic there for her."

Former Clinton adviser Philippe Reines said on Fox News last month that "if she thought she had the best odds of beating Donald Trump, I think she would think about it long and hard."

And on Oct. 31., former President Bill Clinton dropped the aside that while he is ineligible for another term, his wife "may or may not run for anything."

In another BBC Radio interview on Tuesday, Hillary Clinton said, "I try to give the best advice I can to the candidates who are running because my goal is to help retire the current incumbent."

Clinton said she did not expect to endorse a candidate in the primary but would "support them and answer their questions in any way that I can. But once we have a nominee to do everything I know to do to win."

"The process is unfolding," she said. "And we'll see who emerges."

More: Hillary Clinton says ‘gutsiest' personal thing she ever did was stay in her marriage