White House Principal Deputy Press Secretary Joshua Earnest claimed "friendship" is on the agenda for the Hillary Clinton's Monday lunch with President Obama today in a White House press conference.
Earnest said Clinton and Obama have developed a "genuine friendship" over the last four years and the lunch is primarily a chance for the two to catch up:
REPORTER: And then just quickly, is there anything you could tell us about the lunch that the president had or is having with former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton today?
JOSH EARNEST: Somehow I knew somebody was going to ask about that today. The president is having lunch this afternoon with Secretary Clinton in the private dining room right off the Oval Office. Asa you know, over the course of the last four years and as -- much has been written about over the last four years how Secretary Clinton and the president have developed not just a strong working relationship but also a genuine friendship.
The lunch comes amid rampant speculation of a 2016 Clinton presidential run.
Rumors surfaced in June claiming President Obama agreed to back Hillary Clinton's 2016 candidacy in exchange for former President Clinton's endorsement last fall.
