Former Sen. Majority Leader Harry Reid endorsed Joe Biden’s presidential bid on Monday, saying the former vice president’s resume and stability make him the best candidate to beat President Trump. And Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar, who ended her presidential campaign Monday, also plans to back the former vice president, according to a campaign aide.
“President Donald Trump has done unspeakable damage to our country, our institutions and the rule of law. Democrats need a candidate who can assemble the largest, most diverse coalition possible to defeat Trump and lead our country following the trauma of Trump’s presidency,” Reid said. “That candidate is Joe Biden.”
The move is not entirely surprising given that Reid and Biden were allies who served in the nation’s capital together for decades, including a 22-year overlap in the U.S. Senate. Reid was also staying neutral prior to last month’s Nevada caucuses to avoid putting a finger on the scale of the third Democratic presidential nominating contest in the nation.
But Reid’s endorsement comes at a time of growing establishment embrace of Biden as moderate Democrats’ only hope of stopping Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders’ march to the nomination.
Former Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe and former Sens. Barbara Boxer of California and Blanche Lincoln of Arkansas all announced their support for the former vice president after he overwhelmingly won the South Carolina primary on Saturday.
The strong showing in the Palmetto State gave new life to Biden’s campaign, but it’s unclear how much momentum this will give Biden on Super Tuesday tomorrow, when California and 13 other states hold primaries.
