Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) is suspending his campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination, he said on April 8.
“Please know that I do not make this decision lightly. In fact it’s been a very difficult and painful decision,” Sanders told supporters in a livestream from his home in Burlington.
“If I believed I had a feasible path to the nomination I would have continued this campaign.”
Sanders said he understands those who want him to fight until the end, but said “I cannot in good conscience continue a campaign that cannot win,” especially in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The senator made the initial announcement during a conference call with campaign staffers on Wednesday morning before speaking to supporters.
Sanders, who also had a failed bid in 2016, said that over the course of five years, his movement won the ideological struggle, with many Americans now supporting a $15 minimum wage and socialized healthcare.
“The future of this country is with our ideas,” he claimed.
As he spoke, a banner across the bottom of the screen read: “While the campaign ends, the struggle for justice continues on.”
The Democratic field was once crowded with contenders but only Sanders, 78, and former Vice President Joe Biden, 77, were left before the senator’s announcement.
Biden is now the presumptive Democratic nominee.
Many former rivals, including Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-Hawaii), ex-South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg, and Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) endorsed Biden after they dropped out of the race.
It wasn’t immediately clear if Sanders would to the same.
Republican President Donald Trump is running for reelection. He has no challengers left.
Both Trump and Biden both want the November election to go on as scheduled. Some states have delayed primaries due to the COVID-19 pandemic, caused by CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, commonly known as novel coronavirus.
Trump on Wednesday reacted quickly to Sanders dropping out, writing on Twitter that if Warren had dropped out sooner, Sanders “would have won almost every state on Super Tuesday!”
The situation instead developed to the liking of the Democratic National Party and some other Democrats, the president said, inviting Sanders’ supporters to join the Republican Party.
Allen Zhong contributed to this report.
From The Epoch Times
