Former president Bill Clinton reportedly convinced two potential third-party candidates to drop their dreams of a presidential campaign, RadarOnline.com has learned.
The move is said to be a result of Bill and Hillary Clinton's increased involvement in 2024 politics.
The ex-president persuaded former Maryland Republican Governor Larry Hogan and Democrat Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia out of running for president as third-party candidates, according to a report from New York Magazine's Gabriel Debenedetti.
Hogan and Manchin allegedly gave up their dream of running for the White House after Bill argued their bids would benefit GOP frontrunner Donald Trump and hurt incumbent Joe Biden's chances of winning re-election.
Bill reportedly met with the potential third-party candidates last June.
"The pair was scheduled for a ticketed chat about bipartisanship on Clinton’s home turf just as Hogan, the former Maryland governor, was rumored to be thinking about a third-party presidential run via the No Labels group, which he was also co-chairing," Debenedetti reported.
"Before they walked onstage, Clinton delicately made his view clear to the Republican, even though Hogan hadn’t asked: Any independent campaign of the kind No Labels was talking about could only benefit Donald Trump."
The former Democrat president was said to be more assertive in his approach to Manchin. Two months after meeting with Hogan, Bill told Manchin, who had long been teasing a presidential run, that his campaign would only benefit Trump.
Bill is allegedly not the only Clinton who has taken a more hands-on approach to 2024 politics.
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Hillary, the former 2016 Democrat presidential nominee, reportedly has routine talks with Vice President Kamala Harris.
In addition to keeping in close contact with the vice president, Hillary has "begun convening groups of friends and political allies for private dinners to talk through the coming election season and to drum up badly needed support for Democratic candidates, starting with the president."
The meetings are sometimes held at the former first couple's home in Chappaqua, with some taking place at their Washington D.C. residence, which is not far from Harris' home.
After Hillary's loss to Trump in 2016, the Clintons have largely kept a safe distance from politics. Now, the couple is taking a renewed interest in the state of U.S. politics by storm — and have no plans of stopping anytime soon.
Biden recently announced a major fundraising event with the Clintons, former President Barack Obama, and ex-First Lady Michelle, which the Trump campaign highlighted in an email to supporters.
In fundraising emails, Trump's campaign used the alliance to warn voters: "Obama is back! Bill Clinton is back too."