Bernie Sanders isn’t ready to back down yet—but the end of his campaign is in sight.
Speaking outside of the White House on Thursday after meeting with President Obama, Sanders confirmed he would compete in Washington, D.C.’s Democratic primary next week. But he signaled a willingness to work with Hillary Clinton to ensure that Democrats win the White House. “I look forward to meeting with her in the near future to see how we can work together to defeat Donald Trump and create a government, which represents all of us and not just the one percent,” Sanders said.
The Democratic primary race isn’t officially over, but Clinton has already claimed victory, much to the frustration of Sanders’s devoted followers. On Tuesday, Clinton congratulated the senator on “the extraordinary campaign he has run.” Sanders must now figure out how to continue influencing the direction of the party and the Democratic agenda.
The senator thanked the president and Vice President Joe Biden for their “impartiality” in the Democratic race on Thursday. “What they said in the beginning is that they would not put their thumbs on the scales, and in fact they kept their word and I appreciate that very much,” he said. That remark is significant, and suggests the senator may back down on previous claims of unfairness during the primary. If Sanders indicates he lost the race fairly, it will be easier for his supporters to eventually back Clinton.