Al Gore refuses to back Clinton, says it's 'too early'

July 24, 2015: Nobel Peace Prize laureate and former U.S. Vice President Al Gore gestures as he gives a speech at the 2015 China US Clean Air conference, in Beijing, China. (Reuters)

Former Vice President Al Gore has refused to back current frontrunner Hillary Clinton for the Democratic nomination, saying that it is “too early” to endorse a candidate at this stage in the race.

The 2000 Democratic presidential candidate, who served two terms as VP when Bill Clinton was in the White House, told PEOPLE that he intends to wait before backing any of the candidates.

"It's still too early, in my opinion, to endorse a candidate or pick a candidate," Gore said in an interview published Tuesday.

"Everybody can look at how the presidential campaign is developing and get some pretty clear ideas about how they think it's going to turn out, but I still think it's premature," Gore said.

As for reports earlier in 2015 that he may have been tempted by another shot at the White House, having narrowly missed out in 2000, Gore dismissed the speculation.

"I have taken no steps whatsoever in the direction of a candidacy and my answer has been the same for 10 years now – or more – and you probably heard my answer before: I'm a recovering politician and the longer I go without a relapse, the less likely one becomes," he said.

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