Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., a former two-time presidential candidate, said Tuesday he would forego a third run for the White House and would instead endorse President Biden’s re-election bid, according to a report by The Associated Press.
Biden announced earlier in the day that he would be seeking a second term despite polls showing a majority of Americans, and Democrats, don’t want him to run again.
According to the report, Sanders said he would ‘do everything I can to see the president is reelected,’ and warned against a victory by former President Trump or another Republican.
‘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,’ Sanders reportedly said. ‘So, I’m in to do what I can to make sure that the president is reelected.’
Sanders predicted Biden would ultimately be the Democratic nominee on Election Day, and said he thought his job, and the job of the progressive movement, was ‘to make certain that [Biden] stands up and fights for the working class of this country and does not take anything for granted.’
Sanders, a socialist who has served in Congress for decades as a member of both the House and Senate, was the runner-up for the Democratic presidential nominations in both 2016 and 2020, and has commanded a large following among the progressive wing of the Democratic Party since entering the national stage.
The 81-year-old will likely never run for president again, given his age, but said it was ‘a wonderful privilege’ to have run when he did.