WASHINGTON—On the verge of endorsing Hillary Clinton, President Barack Obama will pay tribute to Bernie Sanders’ historic candidacy for presidency with an Oval Office meeting aimed at unifying the Democratic Party for a general election brawl with Donald Trump.
Sanders, the runner-up for the Democratic nomination, was heading Thursday to the White House under intense pressure to drop out and clear the way for Clinton. Though he showed signs he understood the end was near — he was laying off about half his team — he vowed to keep fighting for his movement, which Democratic leaders hope will evolve into a new base of support for Clinton.
Obama, who was expected to formally endorse Clinton following his midday meeting with Sanders, has sought to give the Vermont senator the courtesy of exiting the race on his own terms. On “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” on Wednesday night, he praised the Sanders campaign.
“It was a healthy thing for the Democratic Party to have a contested primary. I thought that Bernie Sanders brought enormous energy and new ideas,” Obama said during a taped appearance on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon”. “And he pushed the party and challenged them. I thought it made Hillary a better candidate.”
Obama planned to use the meeting, requested by Sanders, to discuss how to build on the enthusiasm Sanders brought to the primary and advance issues like income inequality and campaign finance reform that Sanders championed, the White House said. That’s a diplomatic way of saying it’s time for Sanders to pass the baton to Clinton, who declared victory over Sanders on Tuesday.
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