Bernie Sanders Endorses Biden’s 2024 Reelection Bid, Rules out Own Run

Hold on to your hats, folks! Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) has made a big announcement. No, he’s not running for president again. Instead, he’s throwing his support behind President Joe Biden’s reelection campaign.

While Sanders enjoyed running for president in the past, he’s decided to endorse Biden instead of running for office again. Sanders, who has served for decades as a member of both the House and Senate, amassed a large following among the progressive wing of the Democratic Party during his 2016 presidential race. He was also 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 The Associated Press.

But that’s not all. Sanders is also doing everything he can to make sure Biden is reelected for a second term instead of “some other right-wing demagogue.” He pointed to an array of issues currently impacting the political climate and Americans, such as increased shootings, sexism, and abortion rights, and said he would do everything in his power to make sure Biden, 80, is reelected.

‘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.”

And he’s not alone. Sanders is discouraging any other high-profile progressive candidates from running for president in 2024, adding that he believes Biden will ultimately be the Democratic nominee.

His announcement came on the same day that Biden announced via a theatrical-style video that he would be seeking a second term in office. 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 country.