On Wednesday, Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) announced that he is ending his presidential campaign.
“I wish I could give you better news, but I think you know the truth,” Sanders told supporters on Wednesday in a live stream speech, saying “the path towards victory is virtually impossible.”
A ‘difficult and painful decision’
“I have concluded that this battle for the Democratic nomination will be unsuccessful,” Sanders continued, calling it a “difficult and painful decision.”
BREAKING: Sen. Bernie Sanders has ended his presidential campaign, clearing Joe Biden's path to the Democratic nomination and a showdown with President Trump in November. https://t.co/Kz7ExtoLTP
— CNN (@CNN) April 8, 2020
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Sanders addressed the coronavirus pandemic, saying that continuing to run for president would “interfere with the important work required of all of us in this difficult hour.”
Sanders said the virus “has exposed for all to see how absurd our current employer-based health insurance system is.”
BREAKING: Sen. Bernie Sanders is suspending his 2020 presidential campaign. https://t.co/k2KtucO0wo
— NBC News (@NBCNews) April 8, 2020
Bernie Says He’s Not Going Anywhere
Bernie also emphasized that he would continue to fight for political change.
“While this campaign is coming to an end, our movement is not,” Sanders said. He congratulated Biden on garnering enough delegates for a path to the nomination, calling him a “decent man,” but also said that he would remain on the ballot in upcoming primaries to rack up delegates in order to influence the party platform.
Sen. Bernie Sanders suspends his presidential campaign, clearing the way for Joe Biden to become the Democratic nominee https://t.co/toAqEBUhkD
— USA TODAY (@USATODAY) April 8, 2020
Sanders thanked his supporters for making a “profound impact in changing our nation.”
“Together we have transformed the American consciousness as to what kind of nation we can become,” Sanders said. Bernie claimed “our movement has won the ideological struggle” within the Democratic Party.
A Sanders aide said, “The struggle goes on. This was never about Bernie Sanders, this was always about the movement.”
RELATED: Bernie Sanders: Regarding Trump And Coronavirus, ‘Shut This President Up Right Now’
Bernie Sanders Drops Out Of Democratic Presidential Race https://t.co/glocQwAOpG
— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) April 8, 2020
Sanders Couldn’t Win
Sanders 2020 bid for the Democratic nomination began strong early on, when he barely missed winning first place in Iowa but would go on to win in New Hampshire and Nevada. He popularized ideas like “Medicare for All,” canceling student debt and made the wealthy a primary target. His campaign brought in millions in small-dollar donations and saw large rallies full of rabid supporters eager to push him to the front of the crowded Democratic field.
As former Vice President Joe Biden began to overtake Sanders on Super Tuesday and the Democratic primaries that followed, Sanders’ significant losses in Florida, Illinois and Arizona on March 17 made Biden’s nomination virtually inevitable.
“No sugarcoating it, last night did not go the way we wanted,” Sanders said of his losses.
“And while our campaign has won the battle of ideas, we are losing the battle over electability to Joe Biden,” said Sanders.