New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu (D.) on Wednesday said that he doubts he will run for president in 2020, but did not rule out a potential presidential bid.
Landrieu appeared on MSNBC's "Morning Joe" to talk about his newly released book, In the Shadow of Statues: A White Southerner Confronts History, but before the end of the interview, he was asked about speculation that he would be a viable presidential candidate in 2020.
"You've heard from people at the national party that you'd be a pretty good looking candidate to run for president someday. I suspect you won't make an announcement today, but do you have plans beyond your time in office?" co-host Willie Geist asked.
Landrieu said he has been a public servant for 30 years – 16 years as a legislator, 6 years as a lieutenant governor, 8 years as a mayor – and it is time for him to "take a breath," despite the noise about 2020.
"I can hear the noise about the presidential candidate, but they say the same thing to everybody they talk to because everybody is so desperate to find a way out of the difficult situation that everybody knows that we're in. So although you never say never in politics, it's really not something that I can foresee at the moment," Landrieu said. "The world can change dramatically, but I kind of doubt it."
Landrieu's name started being floated as a potential 2020 contender after he delivered a passionate speech last May about removing Confederate monuments in New Orleans.