Bernie Sanders invited Pete Buttigieg’s and Amy Klobuchar’s supporters to defect to his campaign as the pair endorse Joe Biden.
The socialist Vermont senator, in Klobuchar’s home state of Minnesota on Monday, brought up the decisions of his former rivals to drop out of the 2020 Democratic presidential primary to cheers from the crowd, who were ginned up earlier by Rep. Ilhan Omar.
But Sanders, 78, heaped praise on Klobuchar, describing her as “one of the hardest workers” he knows.
“I like Amy,” he said in St. Paul.
The senator added Buttigieg’s bid was historic given the former South Bend, Indiana, mayor was the first openly gay candidate to contest the presidency. Yet, knowing full well his ex-opponents were in Dallas to announce their endorsements of Biden, he called on their fans to back him instead.
“Tonight, I want to open the door to Amy’s supporters, to Pete’s supporters,” he said. “To all of Amy and Pete’s millions of supporters, the door is open. Come on in!”
Buttigieg and Klobuchar unveiled their endorsements on the eve of Super Tuesday as centrist Democrats worry Sanders could secure the party’s nomination. The Vermont senator leads the delegate count and stands to make significant gains in his total tally when 14 states and one U.S. territory hold primaries on Tuesday, offering hopefuls the opportunity to pick up 1,357 of the 1,991 delegates required to become the next standard-bearer outright.
Klobuchar bowed out of the race Monday after voicing concerns about her prospect of winning Minnesota. A Klobuchar rally on Sunday night was canceled after it was derailed by criminal justice protesters.
