Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) said on Monday that he has no plans to announce a White House bid and is instead throwing his support behind President Joe Biden’s reelection campaign.
Sanders, 81, amassed a large following among the progressive wing of the Democratic Party during his 2016 presidential race.
The Vermont lawmaker, who has served for decades as a member of both the House and Senate, had also appeared to be on track to win the nomination in the 2020 presidential race before many of his challengers dropped out and endorsed Biden.
“I enjoyed it very much and I hope we had some impact on the nature of American politics. But right now, my job is to do what I can as chairman of the [Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions] committee, to see Biden gets reelected, and to see what I can do to help transform policy in America to help protect the needs of workers,” he told AP.
‘I’m In to Do What I Can’
“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 said. “So, I’m in to do what I can to make sure that the president is reelected.”Sanders, a socialist, also discouraged any other high-profile progressive candidates from running for president in 2024, adding that he believes Biden will ultimately be the Democratic nominee.
In the video, which featured footage from the Jan. 6 Capitol breach and abortion rights protests across the country, Biden took aim at what he said were “MAGA extremists” throughout the United States who are “lining up to take on those bedrock freedoms.”
“When I ran for president four years ago, I said we are in a battle for the soul of America. And we still are,” Biden said. “The question we are facing is, whether in the years ahead, we have more freedom or less freedom. More rights or fewer.”
Biden Announces 2024 Run
While Biden’s announcement was expected, it comes as polls suggest that Democrats would prefer him not to run again in 2024, in part owing to his age and mental state, which they fear may liabilities.Biden, already the oldest president in U.S. history, would be 86 after completing a second full term in 2029.
The president’s handling of the economy, under which inflation has soared, the possibility of an upcoming recession, the ongoing southern border crisis, Biden’s handling of classified documents, and the increased government support to Ukraine amid Russia’s invasion have all proved to be decisive issues among American voters.
Despite declining support, Biden said in his announcement video on Tuesday that “this is our moment,” adding, “Let’s finish this job, I know we can.”
