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Endorsed by Warren and Sanders, can Biden win their supporters?

With major endorsements rolling in, Joe Biden still faces push back from progressive voters. Bernie Sanders warned his loyalists that it would be "irresponsible" to oppose the presumptive Democratic nominee.

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Bernie Sanders said Tuesday that it would be 鈥渋rresponsible鈥� for his loyalists not to support Joe Biden, warning that progressives who 鈥渟it on their hands鈥� in the months ahead would simply enable President Donald Trump's reelection.

This comes as Elizabeth Warren endorsed Mr. Biden on Wednesday, becoming the last of the former vice president's major Democratic presidential rivals to formally back him.

The Massachusetts senator dropped out of the race last month, shortly after a disappointing third-place finish in her home state. She refused to immediately endorse Mr.聽Biden or her fellow progressive Mr. Sanders.

Mr.聽Sanders, who suspended his campaign last week, endorsed Mr.聽Biden on Monday. A day later, former President Barack Obama announced his public backing of Biden.

And lest there be any question, the Vermont senator confirmed that 鈥渋t鈥檚 probably a very fair assumption鈥� that he would not run for president again. He added, with a laugh: 鈥淥ne can鈥檛 predict the future.鈥�

Mr.聽Sanders spoke at length about聽his decision to endorse Mr.聽Biden,聽his political future, and the urgent need to unify the Democratic Party during an interview with The Associated Press. He railed against the Republican president but also offered pointed criticism at his own supporters who have so far resisted his vow to do whatever it takes to help Mr.聽Biden win the presidency.

He seemed to distance himself from his campaign's former national press secretary, Briahna Joy Gray, when asked about her recent statement on social media refusing to endorse Mr.聽Biden.

鈥淪he is my former press secretary 鈥� not on the payroll,鈥� Mr.聽Sanders noted. A spokesman later clarified that all campaign staffers were no longer on the payroll as of Tuesday, though they will get a severance check in May.

Mr.聽Sanders said his supporters have a simple choice now that Mr.聽Biden has emerged as the presumptive nominee: 鈥淒o we be as active as we can in electing Joe Biden and doing everything we can to move Joe and his campaign in a more progressive direction? Or do we choose to sit it out and allow the most dangerous president in modern American history to get reelected?鈥�

He continued: 鈥淚 believe that it鈥檚 irresponsible for anybody to say, 鈥榃ell, I disagree with Joe Biden 鈥� I disagree with Joe Biden! 鈥� and therefore I鈥檓 not going to be involved.鈥欌��

Mr.聽Sanders said he would not actively campaign or spend money on advertising in the primary contests that are still on the calendar in the coming months. But he still encouraged Democrats in those states to vote for him, hoping to amass as many delegates as possible for leverage to shape the party platform and the direction of Mr.聽Biden's campaign.

He also vowed to continue fighting for progressive priorities such as his signature 鈥淢edicare for All鈥� as a senator, even though Mr.聽Biden has refused to embrace the government-backed single-payer health care system.

鈥淚f people want to vote for me, we鈥檇 appreciate it," Mr.聽Sanders said of the roughly 20 primary contests that remain where his name will appear on the ballot. He later added, "I think you鈥檙e going to see significant movement on the part of the Biden campaign into a more progressive direction on a whole lot of issues.鈥�

Mr.聽Sanders did not outline any specific plans to begin helping Mr.聽Biden in earnest, though he noted that he held dozens of rallies for former Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton four years ago and would be at least as active for Mr.聽Biden. In the short term, he said he's essentially 鈥渋ncarcerated in his home" because of coronavirus social distancing guidelines and did not know when he would return to the campaign trail.

Mr.聽Sanders brushed away questions about why he was willing to back Mr.聽Biden so much sooner than he did Mrs. Clinton, whom he waited until June to endorse. He said recent conversations with former President Barack Obama did not influence his decision. It came down to simple math, he said.

In 2016, Mr.聽Sanders said he had a mathematical path to the nomination all the way until the California primary, which was held on the last day of voting in June. That simply wasn't the case this year.

鈥淲hat would be the sense of staying in, of spending a whole lot of money, of attacking the vice president, giving fodder for Trump 鈥� what's the sense of doing that when you can鈥檛 win?鈥� he asked.

鈥淚 will do everything I can to help elect Joe," Mr.聽Sanders continued. "We had a contentious campaign. We disagree on issues. But my job now is to not only rally my supporters, but to do everything I can to bring the party together to see that [Trump] is not elected president.鈥�

Ms. Warren's endorsement could fuel聽speculation that Mr. Biden may choose her as a running mate.

Ms.聽Warren made no mention of that possibility in announcing her endorsement, instead saying in a statement that Mr. Biden "grew up on the ragged edge of the middle class.鈥� That phrase that was a centerpiece of Ms.聽Warren's own campaign and referred to her own upbringing in Oklahoma.

Ms.聽Warren also referred to the pandemic by tweeting: 鈥淚n this moment of crisis, it鈥檚 more important than ever that the next president restores Americans鈥� faith in good, effective government 鈥� and I鈥檝e seen Joe Biden help our nation rebuild. Today, I鈥檓 proud to endorse @JoeBiden as President of the United States.鈥�

Some of Ms.聽Warren's allies note that, in the days before her endorsement, Mr. Biden embraced some of the senator鈥檚 plans to combat the coronavirus, including calls to cancel student debt and expand Social Security benefits during the crisis. He also has adopted a plan she promoted as a candidate to overhaul the nation's bankruptcy system.

In her statement, Ms.聽Warren also referenced the pair's sometimes rocky relationship. They clashed in 2005, when Mr. Biden was a Delaware senator and Ms. Warren was a Harvard Law School professor and bankruptcy expert, during a congressional hearing over a bankruptcy bill. It was a scene that Mr. Biden, as vice president, recalled when he swore Ms.聽Warren into office eight years later.

鈥淛oe Biden was there at the very moment I became a Senator," Ms.聽Warren wrote Wednesday. "And when he did, he said 鈥榶ou gave me hell! And you鈥檙e gonna do a great job.鈥欌��

This story was reported by The Associated Press.聽

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