Democrat presidential candidate Joe Biden said on Monday that he needed socialist Sen. Bernie Sanders’ (I-VT) help “to govern” and that he wanted to put million of “citizens on a pathway to citizenship.”
Biden made the remarks during a virtual event in which Sanders, a now-twice failed Democrat presidential candidate, endorsed Biden for president.
Biden said, “We’re going to finally achieve comprehensive immigration reform as well, put millions of citizens on a pathway to citizenship including so many who are on the frontlines right now.”
WATCH:
Joe Biden: "put millions of citizens on a pathway to citizenship"https://t.co/kSkmTSr4wp pic.twitter.com/sTFqc6IBqP
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) April 13, 2020
Later during the event, Biden said that he needed Sanders “not just to win the campaign but to govern.”
“I hope that these task forces will come together, utilizing the best minds and people in your campaign and in my campaign to workout real solutions to these very, very important problems,” Sanders said. “So, look forward to working with you and bringing some great people into those task forces.”
“Well, um, Bernie I want to thank you, uh, um, uh, for that,” Biden said. “It’s a big deal, um, and, uh, you know, uh, I think that your endorsement means a great deal, it means a great deal to me.”
“I think people are going to be surprised that we are apart on some issues but we’re awfully close on a whole bunch of others and uh, I think you’ve made, if I am the nominee, which it looks like now you’ve just made me, I’m going to need you, not just to win the campaign but to govern,” Biden added.
Fox News editor Gregg Re highlighted how many in the Sanders world responded to Sanders dropping out of the race and endorsing Biden:
Briahna Joy Gray, who served as Sanders’ national press secretary, and prominent Sanders surrogate Shaun King immediately took aim at Biden — and they made it clear just how much the former vice president’s platform differed from Sanders’ longstanding policy goals.
“With the utmost respect for Bernie Sanders, who is an incredible human being & a genuine inspiration, I don’t endorse Joe Biden,” Gray wrote. “I supported Bernie Sanders because he backed ideas like #MedicareForAll, cancelling ALL student debt, & a wealth tax. Biden supports none of those.”
Additionally, Gray indicated she agreed that it was “almost insulting” for Biden to suggest lowering the Medicare eligibility age to 60, in lieu of adopting universal health coverage.
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Meanwhile, as Sanders and Biden conversed via livestream on Monday, King called the moment an obviously choreographed and embarrassing exercise.
“I can hardly believe what I am watching. In his conversation with @BernieSanders, @JoeBiden is clearly reading from a TelePrompTer. It’s supposed to be a CONVERSATION. I’ve never seen this happen in my entire life,” he said.
King posted an article outlining a slew of requirements before he would consider endorsing Biden, including action on “mass incarceration” and a promise to pick a running mate to his satisfaction.
“I’ve now counted at least 50 times that @JoeBiden blatantly lied about his participation in the Civil Rights Movement from sit-ins he never participated in to marches he was not a part of, to being trained in Black churches as a boy,” King wrote. “He must apologize & explain this.”
With the utmost respect for Bernie Sanders, who is an incredible human being & a genuine inspiration, I don't endorse Joe Biden.
I supported Bernie Sanders because he backed ideas like #MedicareForAll, cancelling ALL student debt, & a wealth tax. Biden supports none of those.
— Briahna Joy Gray (@briebriejoy) April 13, 2020