The White House made clear Wednesday that President Obama is leaving Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders space to exit the Democratic nomination contest on his own terms.
Obama does not plan to endorse his former top diplomat while headlining Wednesday night’s party fundraisers in New York City nor during a taping of the “Tonight Show,” spokesman Josh Earnest told reporters traveling with Obama.
Sanders heads to the White House Thursday morning to have a private meeting of the minds with Obama.
Obama has held off on endorsing former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who secured enough delegates during Tuesday’s primaries to win the nomination, out of respect for Sanders and, more importantly, his loyal supporters. Obama has said repeatedly that he wanted Democratic voters to have their say, rather than himself or other party leaders coronate Clinton.
“At this point, the president believes that Sen. Sanders has more than earned the right to make his own decision about the course of his campaign, and the president is certainly respectful of that,” Earnest said.
“I do not anticipate any formal announcement of an endorsement in the race for the president in advance of his meeting with Sen. Sanders tomorrow,” Earnest said. “That certainly would include the conversation the president expects to have with ‘Tonight Show’ host Jimmy Fallon.”
Late Tuesday night, the White House reported that Obama called both Clinton and Sanders after the polls closed in California.
“One of those calls was a congratulatory call,” Earnest said.
Making clear Obama views Clinton as his heir apparent, however, Earnest reported that Obama “was struck by the historic nature of last night’s speech,” about Clinton’s long victory speech.
