Former President Barack Obama will endorse his former vice president Joe Biden in a video to be released Tuesday, according to a source close to the former president.
The endorsement will come one day after Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., offered Biden his endorsement during a livestream. Sanders ended his campaign for president last week, leaving Biden as the apparent nominee.
Obama had publicly remained on the sidelines as the primary played out, though he offered advice to candidates behind the scenes. In recent weeks he had several calls with Sanders to try and figure out the best path forward for Democrats, a source close to the former president told NBC News last week.
By remaining out of the public spotlight, Obama hoped to help unify the party once the primary had wrapped.
In recent weeks, Obama has ramped up his presence on social media, posting mostly about information on the COVID-19 outbreak that he believes should be widely shared.
Last week, President Donald Trump questioned why Obama had yet to endorse Biden.
“I’m sure he’s got to come out at some point because he certainly doesn’t want to see me for four more years,” Trump said, adding, “When is it going to happen? When is it going to happen? Why isn’t he?”
