Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders said he doesn’t have time to ponder his future in the presidential race amid the coronavirus pandemic.
"I'm dealing with a fucking global crisis," Sanders told CNN reporter Manu Raju when asked if he made a decision on whether to suspend his campaign.
"Right now, I'm trying to do my best to make sure that we don't have an economic meltdown and that people don't die,” he said. “Is that enough for you to keep me busy for today?"
Sanders will “assess” campaign:
Sanders campaign manager Faiz Shakir said on Wednesday that the senator will “assess” the campaign after losing 19 of the last 24 primaries.
“While our campaign has won the battle of ideas, we are losing the battle over electability to Joe Biden,” the statement said, adding that Sanders will “begin holding conversations with supporters to get input and assess the path forward for our campaign.”
Democrats say “it’s over”:
Sanders’ losses over the last three weeks have left him “with no realistic path” to the nomination, The New York Times noted, describing Biden’s delegate lead as “nearly insurmountable.”
“Bernie is getting beat by 30 and 40 points — it’s over,” Rep. Don Beyer told the outlet. “This is the adult thing to do — knowing when it is time to disappear."
Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard announced that she is leaving the race and throwing her support behind Biden on Thursday.
“Although I may not agree with the vice president on every issue, I know that he has a good heart, and he’s motivated by his love for our country and the American people. I’m confident that he will lead our country guided by the spirit of aloha, respect and compassion, and thus help heal the divisiveness that has been tearing our country apart,” she said.
