By Maggie Astor and Shane Goldmacher
Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts endorsed Joe Biden on Wednesday, the latest in a string of prominent endorsements for the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee.
Her announcement follows Sen. Bernie Sanders’ endorsement Monday and former President Barack Obama’s on Tuesday. Warren’s support had been a foregone conclusion for a while, but she left the timing of her announcement up to Biden’s team, according to people familiar with the matter. There was no holdup or demand for concessions, these people said.The series of endorsements has been a carefully choreographed show of force, reminiscent of the one-two-three punch of support that Biden received from Pete Buttigieg, Amy Klobuchar and Beto O’Rourke before Super Tuesday. It is also a show of unity designed to quash the narrative of a fractured Democratic Party.
Two swing-state senators, Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin and Gary Peters of Michigan, also formally backed Biden on Wednesday.
“In this moment of crisis, it’s more important than ever that the next president restores Americans’ faith in good, effective government,” Warren said in her endorsement video. “Joe Biden has spent nearly his entire life in public service. He knows that a government run with integrity, competence and heart will save lives and save livelihoods. And we can’t afford to let Donald Trump continue to endanger the lives and livelihoods of every American.”
Since Warren ended her own campaign, she and Biden have spoken multiple times about policy issues, including Biden’s plan to respond to the coronavirus pandemic. At the staff level, Warren’s chief campaign strategist, Joe Rospars, and Anita Dunn, a senior adviser to Biden, have been engaged in talks bridging the two camps.
In late March, Biden endorsed forgiving at least $10,000 in federal student loans and credited Warren for the proposal. Over the weekend, the former vice president said during his podcast that he supported immediately increasing Social Security payments by $200 a month, another proposal that Warren had championed.
“One thing I appreciate about Joe Biden is that he will always tell you where he stands,” Warren said in her endorsement video. “When you disagree, he’ll listen — not just listen, but really hear you and treat you with respect, no matter where you’re coming from. And he has shown throughout this campaign that when you come up with new facts or a good argument, he’s not too afraid or too proud to be persuaded.”
