Mar 5, 2020 - Politics & Policy

Sanders says he'd drop out if Biden has plurality at Democratic convention

Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders at his campaign office in Burlington, Vermont, on Wednesday. Photo: Alex Wong/Getty Images

Bernie Sanders told MSNBC's "The Rachel Maddow Show" Wednesday he would drop out of the 2020 race if Joe Biden won a plurality of pledged delegates at July's Democratic convention.

Details: "If Biden walks into the convention, or at the end of the process, has more votes than me, he's the winner," Sanders told Maddow. But he added if it ended up being that a candidate only had a plurality of votes and a second ballot were required that could potentially be decided by superdelegates "it would be a real, real disaster for the Democratic party."

People would say 'the person who won the most votes didn't get selected.' Not a good idea."

What else he's saying: In his interview with Maddow, Sanders said Biden's references to his Obama administration role were "working well" as the former president is "enormously popular" with most Democrats and African American voters.

  • But he made clear he respected the fact Obama hadn't endorsed any Democratic presidential candidate.

Of note: Sanders made the remarks as he became the latest 2020 candidate to release an ad invoking Obama's image.

Go deeper: Sanders pondered a primary challenge against Obama in 2012

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Robert Mueller speaks out on Roger Stone commutation

Former Special Counsel Robert Mueller testifies before the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence on Capitol Hill on Wednesday July 24, 2019. Photo: The Washington Post / Contributor

Former special counsel Robert Mueller responded to claims from President Trump and his allies that Roger Stone was a "victim" in the Justice Department's investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election, writing in a Washington Post op-ed published Saturday: "He remains a convicted felon, and rightly so."

Why it matters: The rare public comments by Mueller come on the heels of President Trump's move to commute the sentence of his longtime associate, who was sentenced in February to 40 months in prison for crimes stemming from the Russia investigation. The controversial decision brought an abrupt end to the possibility of Stone spending time behind bars.

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Trump dons face mask during Walter Reed visit

Trump wearing a face mask in Walter Reed National Military Medical Center on July 11. Photo: Alex Edelman/AFP via Getty Images

President Trump wore a face mask during his Saturday visit to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, according to AP.

Why it matters: This is the first known occasion the president has appeared publicly with a facial covering as recommended by health officials since the coronavirus pandemic began, AP writes.

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Updated 7 hours ago - Politics & Policy

Coronavirus dashboard

Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios

  1. Global: Total confirmed cases as of 5:30 p.m. ET: 12,607,510 — Total deaths: 562,338 — Total recoveries — 6,948,863 — Map.
  2. U.S.: Total confirmed cases as of 5:30 p.m. ET: 3,228,884 — Total deaths: 134,600 — Total recoveries: 983,185 — Total tested: 38,919,421 — Map.
  3. Public health: Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter: "Please wear a mask to save lives" — Fauci hasn't briefed Trump on the coronavirus pandemic in at least two months — We're losing the war on the coronavirus.
  4. Food: How the coronavirus pandemic boosted alternative meat.
  5. Sports: Charge of "money grab" by college football.
  6. World: India reimposes lockdowns as coronavirus cases soar.
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