Bernie Sanders endorses Biden to appease progressive Democrats: 'He is the strongest candidate to defeat Donald Trump'

Bernie Sanders officially endorsed Joe Biden for the November elections. In an attempt to clear progressivism's doubts about the president, the Vermont senator wrote an op-ed to explain the decision to his supporters. Comparing what happened in the French election, he asserted that centrists and leftists must unite to "resoundingly defeat right-wing extremism."

Sanders, who was Biden's chief rival in the 2020 Democratic primary, ended up influential in the White House, including as chairman of the powerful Senate Budget Committee. 

The independent senator published the op-ed in The New York Times, where he made clear that the Commander-in-Chief is far from the ideal choice, but is currently the Democrats' best card. 

"Mr. Biden may not be the ideal candidate, but he will be the candidate and should be the candidate"

While he claimed not to agree on everything with the president, such as on" the issue of U.S. support for Israel's horrible war against the Palestinian people" and the non-implementation of a "Medicare for all," he insisted that he is still the best candidate to defeat Donald Trump.

"Yes. I know: Mr. Biden is old, is prone to gaffes, walks stiffly and had a disastrous debate with Mr. Trump. But this I also know: A presidential election is not an entertainment contest. It does not begin or end with a 90-minute debate," he said, referring to the first debate hosted by CNN on June 27. 

In a clear message to the Democrats, he stressed the need to put an end to the discussions about whether or not to replace the president and called to focus on winning in November.

"Enough! Mr. Biden may not be the ideal candidate, but he will be the candidate and should be the candidate. And with an effective campaign that speaks to the needs of working families, he will not only defeat Mr. Trump but beat him badly. It’s time for Democrats to stop the bickering and nit-picking," he continued. 

"For the sake of our kids and future generations, he must win"

Sanders also listed what he considers "accomplishments" of the Biden administration, such as the American Bailout Plan, the Infrastructure Act, student debt cancellation, championing women's rights and "the largest investment in history in climate action to save the planet."

"So, yes, Mr. Biden has a record to run on. A strong record. But he and his supporters should never suggest that what’s been accomplished is sufficient. To win the election, the president must do more than just defend his excellent record. He needs to propose and fight for a bold agenda that speaks to the needs of the vast majority of our people — the working families of this country, the people who have been left behind for far too long," added the progressive, who also came in second in the 2016 Democratic primary. 

Finally, Sanders insisted on the need to defeat Trump, whom he described as "a demagogue and a pathological liar" with "34 felony convictions" and who "has repeatedly declared bankruptcy and who has told thousands of documented lies and falsehoods." 

"This election offers a stark choice on issue after issue. If Mr. Biden and his supporters focus on these issues — and refuse to be divided and distracted — the president will rally working families to his side in the industrial Midwest swing states and elsewhere and win the November election. And let me say this as emphatically as I can: For the sake of our kids and future generations, he must win," Sanders wrote.