Sanders endorses Biden

The Democratic Party continues to line up behind its presumptive nominee to challenge President Donald Trump in November. Former President Barack Obama released a video on Tuesday announcing his endorsement of his former vice president. He called Joe Biden his “close friend” and praised him for his perseverance and compassion, adding, “I believe Joe has all the qualities we need in a president right now.” Obama joins Biden’s former top rival for the nomination, Bernie Sanders, who announced his support on Monday.

How important are these endorsements? Obama remains extremely popular among Democrats and could boost Biden’s fundraising efforts, especially during the pandemic. Sanders’ support could help Biden attract members of the progressive faction of the party. “I think people will be surprised we’re actually a lot closer on many issues,” Biden told Sanders during their livestream, split-screen video message on Monday. Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts is the only remaining holdout among Biden’s former 2020 opponents, but she is expected to announce her support soon. Bill and Hillary Clinton also have not formally endorsed him.

Dig deeper: Read Harvest Prude’s report in The Stew about how the coronavirus pandemic affected the presidential race.

Editor’s note: WORLD has updated this report since its initial posting.