President Joe Biden officially launched his 2024 presidential campaign on Tuesday, and he has already gained a major endorsement from Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT).
Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont said he would forgo another presidential bid of his own and instead endorse President Joe Biden’s reelection. He told @AP that he would “do everything I can to see the president is reelected." https://t.co/nDKi0hYBtH
— The Associated Press (@AP) April 25, 2023
In an interview with AP News that same Tuesday, Sanders made it clear that he would not be running for president in 2024 and that his focus is on supporting Biden’s campaign. According to him, Biden is a better option than former President Donald Trump or anybody from the Republican Party.
“The last thing this country needs is a Donald Trump or some other right-wing demagogue who is going to try to undermine American democracy or take away a woman’s right to choose, or not address the crisis of gun violence, or racism, sexism, or homophobia. So, I’m in to do what I can to make sure that the president is reelected,” he stated.
Sanders went on to discourage other Democrats from challenging Biden for the primary, expressing a belief that Biden would be the nominee.
“I think Joe Biden will be the Democratic nominee. And my job, and I think the progressive movement’s job, is to make certain that he stands up and fights for the working class of this country and does not take anything for granted,” he said.
Sanders has tried to join the presidential race twice now, the first time being in 2020. President Biden, however, got the nomination — one that saw him win the presidential seat. Before that election, he also tried to secure a nomination against Hilary Clinton but lost.
The Independent Senator is currently serving his third term in the Senate after he was reelected into office in 2018. However, his stint as the longest-serving independent member of Congress in American history might be nearing its end as he hinted at the possibility of him stepping back from seeking reelection for the U.S. Senate.
As Biden looks to secure his second term, he will likely face potential challenges within the Democratic Party before facing opposition from the Republican Party. While it remains to be seen who the people elect, the president’s reelection campaign is based on the message that he is Americans’ best hope to attain “more freedom” and “more rights.”
