President Barack Obama has endorsed Hillary Clinton for president, just days after the former secretary of state became the Democratic Party’s presumptive nominee, even though her rival has refused to give up.
Obama, who has mostly kept quiet throughout much of the primaries, officially announced his support for Clinton in a 3-minute video released by the Clinton campaign on Thursday, just hours after he met with Senator Bernie Sanders at the White House.
“For more than a year now, across thousands of miles, and all 50 states, tens of millions of Americans have made their voices heard,” Obama said. “I want to congratulate Hillary Clinton on making history as the presumptive Democratic nominee for President of the United States.”
Obama added: “I know how hard this job can be. That’s why I know Hillary will be so good at it. In fact, I don’t think there’s ever been so qualified to hold this office. She’s got the courage, the compassion, and the heart, to get the job done. And I say that as somebody who had to debate her more than 20 times.”
Responding to the announcement, Clinton said in a tweet: “Honored to have you with me, @POTUS. I’m fired up and ready to go!”
Obama also thanked Sanders for boosting turnout during the Democratic primaries, but called on people to “come together” in a common effort. “I had a great meeting with him this week, and I thanked him for shining a spotlight on issues like economic inequality and the outsized influence of money in our politics and brining young people into the process,” he said.
Earlier on Thursday, Sanders showed no sign of wanting to give up on his fight for the Democratic Party’s presidential nomination, though he noted that he would meet with Clinton to see how they could work together to defeat Donald Trump, who is the Republican Party’s presumptive nominee.
“Secretary Clinton and Senator Sanders may have been rivals during this primary, but they’re both patriots who love this country and they share a vision for the America that we all believe in,” Obama said. “If we all come together in common effort, I’m convinced we won’t just win in November, we’ll build on the progress that we’ve made and we will win a brighter future for this country that we love.”
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