Obama ‘cannot wait’ to stump for Clinton
Video endorsement follows Sanders sit-down
President Obama formally endorsed Hillary Clinton via video Thursday, less than two hours after meeting with second-place primary finisher Bernie Sanders.
The Clinton campaign released the video in which the president said, “I don’t think there’s ever been someone so qualified to hold this office.” The president said Clinton is “making history” as the first female presidential nominee of a major party, adding, “I’m with her.”
The video — filmed Tuesday — surfaced after Sanders capped his Oval Office meeting with Obama by saying he plans to take his issues to the Democratic convention next month. He planned to speak with Clinton about the best way to defeat Republican Donald Trump in the fall election.
“I look forward to meeting with her in the near future,” Sanders said at the White House.
White House spokesman Josh Earnest said Obama has spoken with Sanders three times in the past week, and “I think it’s fair to say Sen. Sanders was not surprised at all” by the Clinton endorsement.
Obama said in the video, “I’m with her, I am fired up, and I cannot wait to get out there to campaign for Hillary.” He and Clinton have a joint appearance planned for Wednesday in Green Bay, Wis.
Trump reacted to the news by tweeting, “Obama just endorsed Crooked Hillary. He wants four more years of Obama — but nobody else does!”
After speaking with Obama for about an hour, Sanders did not indicate he intended to withdraw from the race.
The Vermont senator said he plans to maintain his movement in an effort to change a political system in which “a handful of billionaires exercise enormous power over our political, economic and media life.” He cited campaign plans ranging from health care to anti-poverty programs.
“These are the issues that we will take to the Democratic national convention in Philadelphia at the end of July,” he said.