WASHINGTON — Former vice president Joe Biden is hinting at a potential presidential run in 2020, even broaching the possibility during a recent gathering of longtime foreign policy aides.

Huddled in his newly opened office steps from the Capitol, Biden began a planning meeting for his new diplomacy center by addressing the issue directly.

He said he was keeping his 2020 options open, considering it a real possibility. He insisted he had made no decision, and didn’t need to yet, according to five people who either attended the meeting or were briefed on it by those who did.

Biden also expressed interest in bringing those in the room onto his team if he decides to launch a campaign. At the same time, he gave them an out: There would be no hard feelings if they decided they were content in their current roles outside of government, said the people, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

The political world has long tried to game out Biden’s plans for 2020. After all, he came close to running last time only to see President Trump pull off a victory that many Democrats openly suggest wouldn’t have happened had he, not Hillary Clinton, been their nominee.

Several people came away from the meeting with the impression that if no strong Democratic candidate emerges in the next year or so, Biden would feel compelled to run.

A presidential candidate twice before, Biden would be 78 on Inauguration Day if elected in 2020, a concerning prospect for some Democrats even though he’s only a few years older than Trump.

Associated Press