Sanders backs Biden as ex-rivals join forces to beat Trump

Bernie Sanders has endorsed Joe Biden's presidential campaign, encouraging his progressive supporters to rally behind presumptive Democratic minee in an urgent bid to defeat President Donald Trump.

“I am asking all Americans, I’m asking every Democrat, I’m asking every independent, I’m asking a lot of Republicans, to come toger in this campaign to support your candidacy, which I endorse,” Vermont senator said Monday in a virtual event with Biden.

backing came less than a week after Sanders ended his presidential campaign, which was centered around progressive policies such as universal health care. re were early signs that some leing progressives weren't rey to fully follow Sanders' le. And Trump's campaign was er to use endorsement to tie Biden more closely to Sanders, whose identity as a democratic socialist is objectionable to Republicans and some Democrats.

Still, Sanders' embrace of Biden was crucial for someone who is tasked with bridging Democratic Party's entrenched ideological divides. Democratic disunity helped contribute to Hillary Clinton's loss to Trump in 2016.

Perhaps er to avoid a repeat of that bruising election year, Sanders offered his endorsement much earlier in 2020 campaign. Sanders backed Clinton four years ago, but only after end of a drawn-out mination fight and a bitter dispute over Democratic platform that extended to summer convention.

Biden and Sanders differed throughout primary, particularly over wher a government-run system should replace private health insurance. Biden has resisted Sanders' “Medicare for All” plan and has pushed inste a public option that would operate alongside private cover.

Sanders said re’s “ great secret out re that you and I have our differences.”

But Sanders said greater priority for Democrats of all political persuasions should be defeating Trump.

“We’ve got to make Trump a one-term president,” he said. “I will do all that I can to make that happen.”

coronavirus prevented Biden and Sanders from appearing toger in person. But y me clear y would continue working toger, anuncing formation of six “task forces” me up of representatives from both campaigns to work on policy agreements dressing health care, ecomy, education, criminal justice, climate change and immigration.

Biden, 77, has alrey me some overtures to progressives by embracing aspects of Sanders’ and Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s policies. day after Sanders exited race, Biden came out in support of lowering Medicare eligibility from 65 to 60 while pledging to cancel student debt for many low- and middle-income borrowers. He's also previously embraced Warren's bankruptcy reform plan.

Sanders, 78, is sure to remain a force throughout campaign. When he ended his candidacy, he said he would keep his name on ballot in states that have t yet voted in order to collect more delegates that could be used to influence party's platform. He didn't say Monday wher he would continue to fight for those delegates.

Still, Sanders and Biden emphasized ir mutual respect for each or.

Sanders referred to former vice president as “Joe.” Biden answered him repeatedly as “pal.” two men asked or to give regards to ir wives, Jill Biden and Jane Sanders.

Biden told Sanders: “I really need you, t just to win campaign but to govern."

While Sanders campaigned for Clinton dozens of times after 2016 primary, rapport on display with Biden on Monday was far lighter than anything voters saw four years ago.

Some progressive leers were positive but guarded in response to Sanders' endorsement.

“This endorsement shows that everyone wants to beat Trump,” said am Green, co-founder of Progressive Change Committee that originally supported Warren.

“Our side will be increasingly energized more it’s clear that progressive ideas and progressive leers like Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders, and grassroots organizations have strong positions of influence with Biden,” Green said.

But ors remained skeptical. In

“We need a real plan and t just gestures,” said Ocasio-Cortez, a key Sanders surrogate during his campaign. “What I’d like to see at a bare minimum is a health care plan that helps extend health care to young people."

Trump’s campaign, meanwhile, seized on Sanders’ endorsement to underscore Biden’s embrace of some of his plans. In a statement, Trump campaign manr Br Parscale said that “though Bernie Sanders won’t be on ballot in vember, his issues will be.”

“Biden h to opt most of Bernie’s nda to be successful in Democrat primaries," Parscale said.

Sanders could go a long way toward infusing Biden’s campaign with ditional energy if he’s able to bring his enthusiastic following of millions of young and progressive voters along with him to support Biden. Young voters, a key Democratic voting bloc, have long supported Sanders over his former primary rivals by huge margins.

Biden and Sanders on Monday emphasized need to dress challenges confronting young people during pandemic, with Sanders describing “a generation of young people who are experiencing crisis after crisis.”