Report: Sanders "has not ruled out" presidential run if Biden doesn't

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) has not ruled out running for president in 2024 if President Biden opts not to run, according to a campaign memo obtained by the Washington Post.

Driving the news: "In the event of an open 2024 Democratic presidential primary, Sen. Sanders has not ruled out another run for president, so we advise that you answer any questions about 2024 with that in mind," the memo from Faiz Shakir, Sanders' 2020 campaign manager, said.

The big picture: The campaign memo marks a reversal from comments Sanders made after he ended his 2020 campaign from president, when he said that there is only a "very, very slim" chance that he would run for president again.

• Biden has said that he plans to seek reelection and he said last month that he'd be "very fortunate" if Trump ran again.

The memo obtained by the Post, titled "Embrace the attacks," advises campaigns endorsed by Sanders on how to respond to criticism they may receive over his support.

• "As campaigning heats up in states across the country, your political opponents and their corporate-aligned allies will try to make you feel defensive about Sen. Bernie Sanders’ support for your candidate," Shakir writes.
• "Our advice is to embrace the attacks."

What they're saying: "While it’s frustrating this private memo leaked to the media, the central fact remains true, which is that Senator Sanders is the most popular officeholder in the country," Sanders spokesman Mike Casca told the Post.

• Casca and the memo based the assertion on a recent poll, the Post notes.