Bernie Sanders comes out swinging in support of Joe Biden

| 4:57 pm EDT July 16, 2024
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Sen. Bernie Sanders has been coming out swinging for Joe Biden, helping to blunt the knee-jerk doomsday narrative following two recent developments. Both Biden’s performance in the recent presidential debate and the assassination attempt on Donald Trump have proven themselves to be opportunities for defeatism, so some straight talk and positivity from Sanders, Biden’s former rival, is welcome.

Before the assassination attempt, Sanders penned a guest essay in the New York Times in the wake of the Biden-Trump CNN debate. Addressing Democrats’ pessimism and many leaders questioning the wisdom of keeping Biden on the ticket, Sanders emphasized the need for unity and urged his fans to stick with Biden.

“Supporters of Mr. Biden can speak proudly about a good and decent Democratic president with a record of real accomplishment,” Sanders wrote. After citing examples of their differences, Sanders then praised the Biden administration’s accomplishments, such as bringing the nation out of the pandemic, strengthening the middle class, and making strides with improving the nation’s infrastructure.

Sanders also took the time to remind Democrats that Trump is a “demagogue and pathological liar” while Biden is “the most effective president in the modern history of our country.” After the assassination attempt, Sanders updated his essay to warn that “as the nation recovers from this shocking and tragic event, we must not lose sight of the incredibly high stakes of the November election.”

Sanders appeared on NBC’s “Meet the Press” on Sunday, originally scheduled to discuss his essay. However, in the wake of the assassination attempt the night before, Sanders first made clear that democracy is not about “radical rhetoric” but should be a “serious discussion of where we are as a nation and how we go forward.” When asked if the shooting would affect the chances that Biden would secure the Democratic nomination, Sanders said no, insisting that Biden is “the strongest candidate the Democrats have.”

Sanders’ strong words of support for a second term of the Biden administration is a needed stitch in a thread of unity that must be confidently woven. Political violence has no place in a democracy, and only the Democratic ticket will ensure that the United States remains a democracy in 2025 and beyond.