Barack Obama has publicly endorsed his former vice president Joe Biden in the US presidential race, saying: “I believe Joe has all the qualities we need in a president right now.”
During a 12-minute social media video, which he posted on Tuesday, Obama set out the reasons why he believes that Biden is the right person to take over from Donald Trump.
He said: “Choosing Joe to be my vice president was one of the best decisions I ever made, and he became a close friend. Through all his trials, he’s never once forgotten the values or moral fibre that his parents passed on to him and made him who he is.”
Obama also highlighted the stakes of the 2020 election and argued that the country needs someone who is looking out for the American people rather than themselves, saying:
“If there’s one thing we’ve learned as a country from moments of great crisis, it’s that the spirit of looking out for one another can’t be restricted to our homes, or our workplaces, or our neighbourhoods, or our houses of worship. It also has to be reflected in our national government. The kind of leadership that’s guided by knowledge and experience, honesty and humility, empathy and grace – that kind of leadership doesn’t just belong in our state capitols and mayor offices. It belongs in the White House.”
“And that’s why I’m proud to endorse Joe Biden for President of the United States.”
In response to his friend’s declaration, Biden tweeted: “Barack – This endorsement means the world to me and Jill. We’re going to build on the progress we made together, and there’s no one I’d rather have standing by my side.”
Let’s do this. pic.twitter.com/INkan0GxGL
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) April 14, 2020
President Trump attempted to cause friction between the pair when Senator Sanders dropped out of the presidential campaign last week, saying: “It does amaze me that President Obama hasn’t supported Sleepy Joe,” speculating that his predecessor “knows something that you don’t know, that I think I know, that you don’t know.”
However, Obama was more suppressed in his criticism of the current administration and chose not to mention the president by name but instead to offer a broader condemnation of the Republican party, saying:
“One thing that everybody has learned by now is that the Republicans occupying the White House and running the US Senate are not interested in progress. They’re interested in power.”
Senator Bernie Sanders has also endorsed Joe Biden’s campaign. He has urged Americans to unite to defeat Donald Trump, who he described as “the most dangerous president in the modern history of this country.”
Biden responded by saying he was “deeply grateful” for the endorsement and that he needed Sanders not just for the campaign, but to govern.
He added: “You’ve put the interests of this nation and the need to beat Donald Trump above all else. As you say – ‘Not me, us’”.
Biden confirmed that he and Sanders were setting up policy working groups to address issues including climate change, healthcare and college fees.
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