Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will join President Barack Obama for lunch on Monday, the White House Press Office announced Sunday evening.
The noon appointment, which will be held in the President's private dining room, is closed to the press. The White House did not disclose the purpose of the meeting. However, as with anything related to Clinton these days, discussion in the media will likely circle back to one topic: 2016.
Several prominent Democrats have already voiced their support for another Clinton presidential run. In May, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif) called Clinton the "best qualified" person for the party's nomination. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) commented last week that Clinton would "handle things probably even better" in the White House than her husband, former President Bill Clinton.
NBC is so confident Clinton will play a starring role in 2016, it just announced plans for a four-episode miniseries about the former Secretary of State, set to debut during the heat of the general election. A big-screen dramatization of the her life is also slated for a 2016 release.
Obama has not voiced support for a presidential candidate, laughing off the subject during an interview with Clinton on "60 Minutes" in January. The rare joint interview nonetheless triggered a frenzy of speculation about his preferences. Vice President Joe Biden, who previously sought the Democratic nomination twice, is also eying a possible run.
Clinton, for her part, has not signaled anything definite with regard to her presidential ambitions. Since stepping down as Secretary of State in February, she has kept busy delivering speeches to a variety of industry groups across the country, collecting$200,000 an appearance. She is widely considered the early favorite to win the Democratic nomination and polls ahead of potential Republican nominees.
HuffingtonPost