Former President Bill Clinton privately called Donald Trump in late May when the real estate mogul was on the verge of announcing his 2016 bid for the presidency, the Washington Post reported, citing four Trump confidants and one Hillary Clinton campaign associate—all wishing to remain anonymous.
Bill Clinton’s personal office confirmed that the call occurred, telling the New York Times “that Mr. Trump reached out to President Clinton a few times.”
“President Clinton returned his call in late May,” the aide told the Times. “And, that while we don’t make it a practice to discuss the president’s private conversations, we can tell you that the presidential race was not discussed.”
The four Trump sources, however, told the Post that Trump was candid about the run.
The Clinton/Trump connection is one with some history. Trump has donated $100,000 to the Clinton Foundation and the Clintons were guests at Trump’s third wedding in 2005 to current wife Melania Knauss. Clinton also is a member of one of Trump’s golf courses.
Neither the Trump campaign nor the Clinton campaign responded to requests for comment.
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Write to Tanya Basu at tanya.basu@time.com