Trump-Bill Clinton Phone Call Is Getting Attention

'Encouraging' words were spoken
By Rob Quinn,  Newser Staff
Posted Aug 6, 2015 2:21 AM CDT
Before White House Bid, Trump Chatted to Bill Clinton
In this June 16, 2015 photo, Donald Trump announces that he seek the Republican nomination for president.   (AP Photo/Richard Drew, File)

Did Bill Clinton give his blessing to Donald Trump's presidential campaign? Sources from both the Trump and Clinton camps tell the Washington Post that Trump had a chat with the former president in late May, just weeks before Trump declared his bid, and that Clinton was "upbeat and encouraging" when he discussed Trump's role in the Republican Party. The sources say it was an informal chat, which happened after Trump made several attempts to contact Clinton, and the presidential race wasn't specifically discussed.

There's no love lost between Hillary Clinton and Trump on the campaign trail, but the tycoon's relationship with the Clintons used to be a lot cozier, the Post notes. Trump donated to Hillary's Senate campaigns, which is something his GOP rivals will probably bring up in tonight's debate. Bill Clinton, of course, isn't exactly a political novice, and cynics might suggest he was playing the long game if he gave Trump any encouragement: According to the latest poll from WMUR, Hillary Clinton has a 10-point lead over Trump but she is narrowly behind three of the other four GOP hopefuls pollsters asked about. Jeb Bush, Rand Paul, and Scott Walker all had slight leads over Clinton, while Marco Rubio was only a single point behind. (More Donald Trump stories.)

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