In an interview with television network ABC, U.S. president Barack Obama stated that Hillary Clinton would be “very effective” if she runs for president, adding that he and former secretary of state Hillary Rodham Clinton are “buddies”.

“Hillary and I — we’re buddies. I think because we ran in the longest primary in history and our staffs I think were doing battle politically, the perception was that this was always kind of a marriage of convenience when she came in as secretary of state. I always admired her,” Obama said, when asked about Hillary Clinton. It should be noted that an overwhelming majority of Democrats want Hillary Clinton to run for president in 2016.However, she hasn’t made clear yet whether she will run for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2016.

Praising the loyalty and effectiveness of Ms. Clinton as Secretary of State, the U.S. president stated that it is up to her to decide whether she will run for the Democratic nomination in 2016 or not.

“I don’t know what she’s going to decide to do, but I know that if she were to run for president, I think she’d be very effective at that,” said Obama, whose term will expire on January 20, 2017.

When asked how he would react if his own wife, Michelle Obama announced him in ten years from now that she wants to run for office, Obama replied: “I would say, ‘Where did you take my wife?’. I would be sure that there had been an alien body-snatching going on.”

“One thing I can promise you is that Michelle will not run for office,” Obama underlined.