Sanders gives Clinton support
WASHINGTON — More than a month after she secured the Democratic nomination for president, Hillary Clinton finally got a much-needed, long-sought endorsement Tuesday from onetime rival Bernie Sanders.
The endorsement came after Clinton and her allies shifted their positions to accommodate Sanders, most recently announcing support for tuition-free enrollment in public in-state colleges, a $15-an-hour federal minimum wage and expansion of the Affordable Care Act.
“This campaign is about the needs of the American people and addressing the very serious crises that we face,” Sanders said at a rally in New Hampshire. “And there is no doubt in my mind that, as we head into November, Hillary Clinton is far and away the best candidate to do that.”
Sanders and Clinton appeared together — hugging and waving — on a Portsmouth stage adorned with a sign that said “Stronger together” in front of a crowd that was waving both Clinton and Sanders signs.
“We are joining forces to defeat Donald Trump, win in November and, yes, together build a future we can all believe in,” Clinton said.
Her supporters expect the independent senator from Vermont to help push new, younger and more liberal voters to Clinton in a general election against presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump.
The 74-year-old self-described democratic socialist surprised most people, including himself, by tapping into anger brewing in the country to galvanize a new crop of voters as a champion of the underpaid, overworked American. In a year when Clinton was expected to walk away easily with the nomination, Sanders received 12 million votes and won contests in 22 states.
Tuesday’s event ended Democratic fears that Sanders might sit out the general election or run as a third-party candidate.
