Mrs Clinton lost the 2016 Presidential election by 232 electoral college votes to Trump’s 306. She did however win the popular vote by 65.8 million to 62.9 million. Rumours had been circulating in the US media Mrs Clinton was planning another Presidential bid.
Speaking to CNN Mr Podesta commented: “Look, I love her, I wish she were President.
“She got three million votes than Donald Trump did, she would have been a great President, but she’s not running for President and I think this is media catnip.”
It follows a report by CNN White House correspondent Jeff Zeleny that she was actively considering a bid.
Referring to the 2016 Democratic nominee he said: “I’m told that as recently as this week she talked to several people, saying ‘look, I’m not closing the doors to this’.”
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However he added: “It does not mean that there’s a campaign-in-waiting or a plan in the works.”
Mrs Clinton was selected as the Democratic nominee for the 2016 Presidential election, after seeing off a surprise challenge from veteran left-winger Bernie Sanders.
Earlier she had attempted to become the Democratic Presidential candidate for 2008, but was defeated by Barack Obama.
Mrs Clinton went on to serve as Secretary of State under Mr Obama from 2009 to 2013.
During the CNN interview Mr Podesta said: “I take her at her word.
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“We’ve got a lot of great candidates out there right now and I think the Democratic primary is going to be a spirited one.
“She would have made a great President but that’s in the past and she says she’s not running.”
Mr Podesta served as White House Chief of Staff for President Bill Clinton between October 1998 and January 2001.
Emails from the Chicago born political consultant were leaked during the 2016 presidential campaign by Wikileaks, damaging the Clinton campaign.