UPDATE: President Obama has officially endorsed Joe Biden for president. In his video announcement, Obama paints his former vice president as a man who fights for the middle class and one who will bring "grace" and "humility" back to the White House. He also recognized Biden's former competitor Sen. Bernie Sanders (D-VT) as an "American original."
I’m proud to endorse my friend @JoeBiden for President of the United States. Let's go: https://t.co/maHVGRozkX
— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) April 14, 2020
Sanders, he added, is "a man who has devoted his life to giving voice to working people's hopes, dreams and frustrations. He and i Haven't always agreed on everything, but we've always shared a conviction, we have to make America a fairer, more just, more equitable society."
He suggested that Sanders and his followers would be proud of the presumptive nominee.
"Joe already has what is the most progressive platform of any major party nominee in history," Obama claimed.
The Trump White House, he charged, is more interested in "power" and has "denied the science" of the coronavirus pandemic.
ORIGINAL POST
We're nearing the eleventh hour of the 2020 presidential election, and former President Barack Obama has finally endorsed his old VP Joe Biden. He had no choice really, now that Biden is the presumptive Democratic nominee. He plans to make it official via a video message on Tuesday.
NEW: Former President Barack Obama will officially endorse Joe Biden, his former vice president and the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, in a video to be released later today, a source confirms to NPR.
— NPR (@NPR) April 14, 2020
NEW: Former President Obama will endorse Joe Biden for president in a video to be released this morning, according to a source close to the former president - @PeterAlexander
— NBC Politics (@NBCPolitics) April 14, 2020
Last Wednesday, Sen. Bernie Sanders (D-VT) announced that he'd be dropping out of the race. It was the second time in as many Democratic primaries that he's come close to the nomination, only to be outplayed by the more establishment candidate. On Monday, he (awkwardly) endorsed the man who he's accused of participating in the worst foreign policy blunder in history.
Quite a few Sanders supporters do not plan to follow the senator's lead. Here's just a small list of progressive groups who say that there's no way in hell they'll endorse Biden until he agrees to support some of their farfetched, socialist proposals.
Biden has had a bumpy primary so far. He lost both the Iowa Caucus and New Hampshire primary handily, and has at least one cringe gaffe in each interview he grants the press. He's also now the subject of a new sexual assault allegation.
This clip the 2004 film "Troy" shared by RNC spokeswoman Liz Harrington says it all.
Obama IRL pic.twitter.com/BdJ21R0x1p
— Elizabeth Harrington (@LizRNC) April 14, 2020
The Trump campaign has weighed in as well.
“Barack Obama spent much of the last five years urging Joe Biden not to run for president out of fear that he would embarrass himself," said Brad Parscale, Trump 2020 campaign manager. "Now that Biden is the only candidate left in the Democrat field, Obama has no other choice but to support him. Even Bernie Sanders beat him to it. Obama was right in the first place: Biden is a bad candidate who will embarrass himself and his party. President Trump will destroy him.”
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Editor's Note: This post has been updated.