Sen. Bernie Sanders, a Democrat of Vermont, ended his campaign for the presidency Wednesday, April 8. Sanders announced that he was removing himself from the campaign trail during an all-staff conference call, according to his campaign team.
After the morning conference call, Sanders’ team held a livestream on YouTube titled “A Special Message from Bernie“ to formally announce his withdrawal. “I cannot, in good conscience, continue to mount a campaign that cannot win, and which would interfere with the important work required of all of us in this difficult hour,” Sanders said.
The decision comes weeks after the novel coronavirus pandemic postponed many Democratic primary elections. Former Vice President Joe Biden will presumably be the Democratic nominee in the 2020 presidential race against Republican incumbent President Donald Trump.
Even though Sanders considers Biden as the Democratic Party’s 2020 nominee, the senator will remain on the ballot for future primaries and will continue to gather delegates’ votes in hopes of gaining leverage at the Democratic National Convention.
“I wish I could give you better news, but I think you know the truth, and that is that we are now some 300 delegates behind Vice President Biden, and the path toward victory is virtually impossible,” Sanders said. “So while we are winning the ideological battle and while we are winning the support of so many young people and working people throughout the country, I have concluded that this battle for the Democratic nomination will not be successful. And so today, I am announcing the suspension of my campaign.”
On the same day in a trio of tweets, Trump repeated his claim that the Democratic Party had done wrong by Sanders and accused Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren of preventing Sanders from winning.
In February 2019, Sanders entered the race for the party nomination, encouraging supporters to “Join [him] as part of an unprecedented and historic grassroots campaign that will begin with at least a million people from across the country.”
The donations Sanders received from his supporters carried him through the late fall and into the early winter, where he dominated the Nevada caucus. Following the Nevada caucus, there was talk that Sanders might win the nomination, especially after his strong performances in Iowa and New Hampshire. However, Sanders’ loss in South Carolina resulted in Biden emerging as the leader in the Democratic race.
After Sanders announced his withdrawal, Warren released a statement on Twitter praising Sanders and the impacts of his presidential campaigns in 2016 and 2020. “Your fight for progressive ideas moved the conversation and charted a path for candidates and activists that will change the course of our country and party,” she wrote.
Biden issued a statement acknowledging his rival’s contribution by writing a heartfelt letter to both Sanders and his supporters on the blogging platform Medium. “[Sanders] hasn’t just run a political campaign; he’s created a movement,” Biden wrote. “And make no mistake about it, I believe it’s a movement that is as powerful today as it was yesterday. That’s a good thing for our nation and our future.”
Biden is now encouraging supporters of Sanders to support his campaign. Biden’s campaign team is also currently in contact with Sanders to discuss policies concerning health care, climate change and student loans.
“This current, horrific crisis we are now in has exposed, for all to see, how absurd our current, employer-based health insurance system is,” the executive board of the Democrats of Hofstra University said in a statement released after Sanders’ announcement.
The Hofstra College Republicans were contacted for a statement but did not respond by the time of publication.
“I wish Bernie hadn’t suspended his campaign,” said Trinity Jai, an undecided freshman at Hofstra. “But regardless, I support him and we will continue this fight.”
