Hillary rules out 2020 presidency
Hillary Clinton has ruled out a run for the US presidency in 2020, putting an end to speculation that she might take on Donald Trump for a second time.As the Democratic candidate in 2016, Clinton was widely expected to become the first female US president, before a shock defeat by Trump.
Asked if she would run for any public office in future, the former secretary of state said: "I don't think so." Clinton said she had spoken to some of the 2020 Democratic candidates. "I've told every one of them, don't take anything for granted," she said in an interview with New York TV channel News 12.
Clinton was the first female presidential nominee for a major US party in the nation's history. Her ascension to the top office was widely seen as all but guaranteed, but she was dogged by accusations of being overly reliant on wealthy donors, too close to Wall Street and out of touch with younger voters.
She was relentlessly pilloried by Mr Trump, who ran a campaign based on personal attacks and goaded crowds on the campaign trail to chant "Lock her up".
Her defeat prompted a period of soul-searching for the Democratic Party, which is now gearing up for a wide-open primary contest that has already seen more than 10 contenders announce a run.
Vermont senator and 2016 Democrat primary runner-up Bernie Sanders is the latest Democrat to throw his hat in the ring. Sanders' name recognition and base of support among the party's left has catapulted him towards the front of the pack.
He joins Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren, who was the first big name to declare a run, as well as New Jersey Senator Cory Booker and California Senator Kamala Harris.
Also in the running are New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand; New Jersey Senator Cory Booker; Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar; the Mayor of San Antonio, Texas, Julian Castro; and the Mayor of South Bend, Indiana, Pete Buttigieg, who is the first openly gay person to run for president.
Some of the most talked-about names are yet to declare their intentions. The former vice-president, Joe Biden, is considering a run. He enjoys the best name recognition in the country, and analysts say he would leapfrog other candidates to the top of early polling were he to enter the race.
Beto O'Rourke, a former congressman from Texas who drew national attention when he ran an unexpectedly close Senate race against Republican incumbent Ted Cruz, has kept fans and potential donors waiting as he weighs his options.
O'Rourke ran an unconventional campaign for the Senate, posting unvarnished social media updates as he drove through all 254 counties in the state, fuelled by millions in small-dollar donations.
