Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) gave President Joe Biden’s reelection bid an enthusiastic endorsement on Aug. 26 in an address at the New Hampshire Institute of Politics at Saint Anselm College, reinforcing his support the next day on Sunday political talk shows while chastising former President Donald Trump.
“It is no secret that I want Joe Biden to be reelected president. He and I share the goal of beating back right-wing extremism,” Mr. Sanders said in New Hampshire, as he praised the administration for its “significant investments” in infrastructure across the country and applauded the president for improving the economy.
During his speech, Mr. Sanders expressed dismay that Republicans were gaining support from working-class Americans and urged an ”ideological change of course” to reclaim their votes.
“Frankly, it is absolutely absurd that, given the anti-work ideology and policies of the Republican Party, that that party now has more working-class support than Democrats,” the senator said.
Some Hispanic and black voters have moved toward the Republican party, too, he noted.
“It should be deeply worrying that, according to recent polls, Democrats are losing support within the Latino communities and even among African American men,” Mr. Sanders said. “That has got to change, not just for the well-being of the Democratic Party, but for the future of our country.”
During the Sunday talk show circuit on Aug. 27, Mr. Sanders was asked by CNN about third-party candidate Cornel West’s criticism of the runner-up in the 2016 Democratic presidential primary.
In an interview played for Mr. Sanders to listen, Mr. West said, “I love the brother. And, you know, even in love, people have deep disagreements about these things. But I think, again, he’s fearful of the neofascism of Trump.
“People look at Biden, they don’t really want to tell the full truth. He’s created the best economy that we can get...” Mr. West said.
“Is this the best that we can get? You’re going to tell that lie to the people? Just for Biden to win?”
Asked to respond, Mr. Sanders said, “Well, my reaction is that it certainly is not the best economy that we can create. That was what my speech was about yesterday. We’ve got to join the rest of the industrialized world [and] guarantee health care as a right. To cut the cost of prescription drugs in half. We’ve got to raise the minimum wage to at least 17 bucks an hour. We’ve got to build the affordable housing we desperately need.
“We have got to bring the entire progressive community out to defeat Trump—or whoever the Republican nominee will be—to support Biden. But at the same time, which is what I did yesterday, is demand that the Democratic Party, not just Biden, have the guts to take on corporate greed and the massive levels of income and wealth inequality that we see today.
On NBC’s “Meet the Press,” Mr. Sanders reiterated the same message and called President Trump an “authoritarian” and a “very, very dangerous person.” He also defended 80-year-old President Biden’s mental fitness.
“I met with the president, I don’t know five or six weeks ago. We had a great discussion. He seemed fine to me,” Mr. Sanders, 81, said.
President Biden continues to face questions about his age, mental fitness, and low approval ratings from some Democrats who are concerned about his chances of defeating the Republican nominee in 2024.
Challenger Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is generating widespread support in the Democratic primary, and speculation is mounting that other candidates will enter the race, including California Gov. Gavin Newsom.
Mr. Sanders’s appearance at Saint Anselm College, where Mr. Kennedy spoke earlier this year, stoked speculation that he might enter the Democratic primary.
Last year, President Biden moved to strip New Hampshire of its first primary status and give it to South Carolina. He had a disappointing showing in New Hampshire in 2020 but won in South Carolina, which has a more racially diverse population.
The Democratic National Committee voted to approve President Biden’s plan, but Democratic party leaders in New Hampshire and Iowa, which saw its caucus moved behind South Carolina’s primary, have said they will not abide by the new calendar.
New Hampshire law requires the state to have its presidential primary a week before any others. The Republican-led state legislature and the governor’s office have said they will not change the date. National and state Democrats have clashed over the DNC’s decision, which could result in an unsanctioned primary without President Biden on the ballot. That could lead to a victory there for Mr. Kennedy or author Marianne Williamson.
The DNC has given New Hampshire and Iowa a Sept. 1 deadline to announce they will accept the mandate. The organization’s Rules and Bylaws Committee will meet on Sept. 14 in Washington.
“I don’t care what people are talking about in Washington. We’re going to have our primary." said former New Hampshire Democratic Party chair and DNC member Kathy Sullivan.
“Democrats are going to come out and vote, and it’s going to be the first primary.”
DNC officials are encouraging Democrat elected officials and leaders to visit New Hampshire and support President Biden. Talk of a write-in campaign for the president has surfaced.
“Everybody knows New Hampshire will have the first primary, and Joe Biden will win it—even if he’s not on the ballot. But there will be more than just the presidential race on the ballot,” said New Hampshire Democratic Party Chair Ray Buckley.
“Electing Democrats up and down the ballot in New Hampshire in 2024 is of national concern, and we’re glad to have folks willing to lend their prestige to the effort.”
During his address in New Hampshire, Mr. Sanders mirrored the campaign platform of Mr. Kennedy, who has said he will restore the middle class and fight against corporate corruption if he is elected.
“Democrats, through words and action, must make clear that they stand with a struggling working class, a disappearing middle class, and millions of low-income Americans who today are barely surviving,” he said.
“They must make it clear that they are prepared to boldly take on the powerful corporate interests that have so much power in Washington and in state capitals across the country.”
Mr. Sanders praised President Biden for job creation, though acknowledging that the economy is still not favorable for many Americans.
“While we take pride in our accomplishments, we must also recognize the reality that tens of millions of our fellow Americans continue to live in pain and despair.”
