WASHINGTON -- Bernie Sanders endorsed Joe Biden's presidential campaign on Monday, encouraging his progressive supporters to rally behind the presumptive Democratic nominee in an urgent bid to defeat President Donald Trump.
"I am asking all Americans, I'm asking every Democrat, I'm asking every independent, I'm asking a lot of Republicans, to come together in this campaign to support your candidacy, which I endorse," the Vermont senator said in a virtual event with Biden.
The backing came less than a week after Sanders ended his presidential campaign, which was centered on progressive policies such as universal health care. There were early signs that some leading progressives weren't ready to fully follow Sanders' lead. And Trump's campaign was eager to use the endorsement to tie Biden more closely to Sanders, whose identity as a democratic socialist is objectionable to Republicans and some Democrats.
Still, Sanders' embrace of Biden was crucial for someone who is tasked with bridging the Democratic Party's entrenched ideological divides. Democratic disunity helped contribute to Hillary Clinton's loss to Trump in 2016.
Biden and Sanders differed throughout the primary, particularly over whether a government-run system should replace private health insurance. Biden has resisted Sanders' "Medicare for All" plan and has pushed instead a public option that would operate alongside private coverage.
Sanders said there's "no great secret out there that you and I have our differences."
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But Sanders said the greater priority for Democrats of all political persuasions should be defeating Trump.
"We've got to make Trump a one-term president," he said. "I will do all that I can to make that happen."
The coronavirus prevented Biden and Sanders from appearing together in person. But they made clear they would continue working together, announcing the formation of six ask forces made up of representatives from both campaigns to work on policy agreements addressing health care, the economy, education, criminal justice, climate change and immigration.
Biden, 77, has already made some overtures to progressives by embracing aspects of Sanders' and Sen. Elizabeth Warren's policies. The day after Sanders exited the race, Biden came out in support of lowering the Medicare eligibility age from 65 to 60 while pledging to cancel student debt for many low- and middle-income borrowers. He's also previously embraced Warren's bankruptcy overhaul plan.
Sanders, 78, is sure to remain a force throughout the campaign. When he ended his candidacy, he said he would keep his name on the ballot in states that have not yet voted in order to collect more delegates that could be used to influence the party's platform. He didn't say Monday whether he would continue to fight for those delegates.
Still, Sanders and Biden emphasized their mutual respect for each other.
Sanders referred to the former vice president as "Joe." Biden answered him repeatedly as "pal." The two men asked the other to give regards to their wives, Jill Biden and Jane Sanders.
Biden told Sanders: "I really need you, not just to win the campaign but to govern."
Meanwhile, a former aide to Biden is accusing him of sexually assaulting her during the early 1990s when he was a senator. Biden's campaign denies the charges.
In two recent interviews with The Associated Press, Tara Reade said the assault occurred in the basement of a Capitol Hill office building in the spring of 1993. She filed a police report in Washington on Thursday saying she was the victim of a sexual assault by an unnamed person in 1993, a copy of which was obtained by the AP.
It's not the first time Reade has made an accusation against the former vice president. Last year, Reade publicly accused Biden of inappropriate touching but did not allege sexual assault.
In a statement, Biden deputy campaign manager and communications director Kate Bedingfield said the former vice president has "dedicated his public life to changing the culture and the laws around violence against women," pointing to his work passing the Violence Against Women Act. She said "he firmly believes that women have a right to be heard -- and heard respectfully," but added: "Such claims should also be diligently reviewed by an independent press."
"What is clear about this claim: it is untrue. This absolutely did not happen," Bedingfield said.
Information for this article was contributed by Steve Braun and Don Thompson of The Associated Press.
A Section on 04/14/2020