House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi has joined the growing ranks of politicians and public figures lining up behind a Hillary Clinton presidential bid in 2016.
"I would love to see Secretary Clinton become the nominee for President in 2016," Pelosi said during an appearance in the 92nd Street Y in New York City Sunday night.
"I do think the Secretary should entertain the thought of running in 2016," said the former Speaker of the House, who was formally neutral in 2008 but was widely viewed as tacitly supporting Senator Barack Obama, then Clinton's bitter rival. "Hasn't she been a magnificent Secretary of State?"
Pelosi made the comment in response to a question from political correspondent Jeff Greenfield as part of the 92nd Street Y's Campaign for the American Conversation series, as seen in a video provided exclusively to BuzzFeed.
She was responding to a question about rumors that Clinton might "switch places" with Joe Biden in the 2012 election to accommodate an Obama-Clinton ticket.
"I don't think that the [2012] ticket is going to change. I think the President and Vice President have worked very well together. Joe Biden is a great guy, he enjoys his own popularity," she responded.
In the past few weeks, a growing group of high-powered Washington figures have echoed Pelosi's sentiments. New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand told BuzzFeed she'd "be one of the first to ask Hillary to run in 2016," while former New York City mayor Ed Koch said to "count [him] in" as a Hillary 2016 supporter. Democratic strategists James Carville and David Plouffe also acknowledged the potential strength of a Clinton candidacy, and even Bill Clinton said he'd be "happy" if his wife decided to run.
Clinton has yet to comment on any future campaigns, but now that some of her closest allies are very publicly voicing their support, it's clear there will be pressure for her to consider an attempt at calling the White House home once again.