screengrab via YouTube
In the clip Clinton makes a long-winded speech pretending to ask Harkin for political help in Iowa, a state that plays an outsize role in presidential primaries.
"Hi Tom, it's Hillary. I could really use some advice. I'm getting ready to take a momentous plunge and you are a uniquely suited to help me," Clinton told Harkin, who was inducted into the Iowa Democratic Hall of Fame Saturday.
Then Clinton made the big reveal. The "momentous plunge" Clinton referred to wasn't a campaign, it's the upcoming birth of her first grandchild.
"It's a new adventure full of excitement," she said. "I could really use you in my corner. No one knows the terrain better. So Tom, I need to ask: What's the secret to being such a terrific grandparent?"
Clinton deadpanned the entire joke. Following the punchline, she pivoted back to praising Harkin's record.
Watch the video message below.