Bernie Sanders Endorses Joe Biden for President

The decision by Sanders to back his former rival is an unmistakable signal to his supporters that they should do so as well, at a moment when Biden still faces deep skepticism from many younger progressive voters.

In a surprise joint appearance over livestreamed video, the two men revealed a rapprochement forged amid extraordinary circumstances just five days after Sanders withdrew, a sign of how profoundly the coronavirus pandemic has changed the race. The uncertainty caused by the virus, the vast damage to the U.S. economy and the fervent desire to deprive Trump of a second term prompted an earlier-than-expected alliance between two ideological rivals, aimed at bringing together disparate factions of the party.

“We need you in the White House,” Sanders said to Biden. “And I will do all that I can to see that that happens.”

Biden said: “I’m going to need you. Not just to win the campaign, but to govern.”

The coalescence behind Biden will gain even more strength with the backing of Sen. Elizabeth Warren, who is expected to endorse him soon, according to people familiar with the matter.

The challenge now for Biden and Sanders is to create an agenda that hews to Biden’s relatively moderate policy views and draws in progressives but also seems big enough to match the extraordinary moment in the country.

Already, progressive groups and activists were expressing skepticism about how far Biden would go to incorporate Sanders’ followers.

“Winning over Sen. Sanders is one thing, but Joe Biden shouldn’t think that the work is over,” said Evan Weber, political director for the Sunrise Movement, an organization of young climate activists that had endorsed Sanders.

Biden and Sander said they would form “task forces” on issues including the economy, education, immigration, health care, criminal justice and climate change. Biden’s campaign said the groups would include “policy experts and leaders that represent the diverse viewpoints of the Democratic Party” and promised updates on the groups’ progress.

This article originally appeared in The New York Times .