Biden had a private lunch with Bill Clinton during which the former president urged him to take credit if inflation decreases, report says

Former president Bill Clinton laughs as Vice President Joe Biden speaks during a campaign rally at the Covelli Centre, Monday, Oct. 29, 2012, in Youngstown, Ohio.

Matt Rourke/Associated Press

• President Joe Biden had a private lunch with former president Bill Clinton in May.
• The two men discussed Ukraine, inflation, and the midterms, The Washington Post reported.
• Clinton told Biden to talk more about what he was doing to address inflation, sources told The Post.

President Joe Biden met with Bill Clinton in May, during which the former president advised him on a range of topics and urged him to take credit if inflation decreases, according to a report published by The Washington Post on Wednesday.

The meeting occurred on May 2 and was confirmed by the White House at the time after The Post first reported it was happening, citing people familiar with the situation. Details on what the two Democrats discussed had not previously been reported.

Biden and Clinton discussed inflation, Ukraine, and the midterm elections, people briefed on the conversation told The Post. Clinton praised Biden for building support around Ukraine, as the US provided extensive aide to the Eastern European country since Russia invaded in February.

Clinton also told Biden to talk more about what the White House was doing to address skyrocketing inflation in an effort to set himself up to take credit if inflation decreases later this year, The Post reported.

Inflation rates continued to rise in the wake of the the meeting, but have since appeared to start cooling off. Meanwhile, Democrats in Congress struck a deal on a massive tax, healthcare, and climate bill named the Inflation Reduction Act.

But it's unclear how much of an effect the bill, which passed the Senate on Sunday, will have on inflation. Analysts have given varied assessments on when, or how much, the bill will actually impact prices.

Biden's meeting with Clinton was on par with his habit of enlisting outside experts to seek guidance on various issues. The Post also reported that Biden met with a group of historians last week to discuss threats to democracy, and in January he met with foreign policy experts ahead of an anticipated Russian invasion of Ukraine.

The White House did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.

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