Sanders after meeting with Obama at the White House in January (Getty)
The White House announced Tuesday night that President Barack Obama congratulated Hillary Clinton on her victories and also called her challenger, Bernie Sanders. White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest also said that Obama will meet with Sanders on Thursday, per the Vermont Senator’s request.
“Tonight, President Obama called both Secretary Clinton and Senator Sanders,” the statement reads. “The President congratulated both candidates for running inspiring campaigns that have energized Democrats, brought a new generation of Americans into the political process, and shined a spotlight on important policy ideas aimed at making sure our economy and politics work for everybody, not just those with wealth and power.”
In his call with Clinton, he congratulated her on reaching the necessary delegates to get the Democratic nomination for president. He thanked Sanders for “energizing millions of Americans with his commitment to issues like fighting economic inequality and special interests’ influence on our politics.”
Obama will meet with Sanders on Thursday to “continue their conversation about the significant issues at stake in this election that matter most to America’s working families.”
It looks like the main topic of discussion between the two will be brining the Democratic party together. The statement noted that, “The President looks forward to continuing the conversion with Senator Sanders about how to build on the extraordinary work he has done to engage millions of Democratic voters, and to build on that enthusiasm in the weeks and months ahead.”
Despite not officially endorsing Clinton, Obama is expected to by the end of this week.
While Clinton did win New Jersey and California, Sanders did pick up a few delegates in Montana and North Dakota. He and his supporters have have vowed to continue the campaign before the convention in Philadelphia next month. However, sources told The New York Times that Sanders will lay off at least half of his staff today.
Here’s Obama’s statement:
(Twitter/Ryan Styuk)
