Kerry denies considering presidential bid: ‘Any report otherwise is categorically false’

Former Secretary of State John Kerry fired back soon after a report surfaced Sunday that he was overheard  discussing a potential 2020 presidential bid. 

“As I told the reporter, I am absolutely not running for President. Any report otherwise is f—ing (or categorically) false,” Kerry said Sunday in a since deleted tweet.

“I’ve been proud to campaign with my good friend Joe Biden, who is going to win the nomination, beat Trump, and make an outstanding president,” he added.

Kerry quickly followed up with a second tweet that eliminated the profanity. 

As I told the reporter, I am absolutely not running for President. Any report otherwise is categorically false. I’ve been proud to campaign with my good friend Joe Biden, who is going to win the nomination, beat Trump, and make an outstanding president.

— John Kerry (@JohnKerry) February 2, 2020

Kerry’s tweet came in response to an NBC News report that he was overheard discussing entering the 2020 race because of concerns over Sen. Bernie Sanders’s (I-Vt.) rise in the polls. 

NBC reported that Kerry was telling an unknown confident on the phone at a Des Moines, Iowa, hotel about the steps he would need to take in order to enter the race, including stepping down from Bank of America’s board of directors. 

Kerry, the unsuccessful 2004 Democratic presidential candidate, told NBC News he was “absolutely not” considering launching a presidential bid. 

Kerry has been serving as one of Biden’s most high-profile surrogates on the campaign since endorsing the former vice president in December. 

The Hill reached out to the Sanders campaign for comment.