Joe Biden

By Stephen Ohlemacher and Will Weissert Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Joe Biden formally clinched the Democratic presidential nomination Friday, setting him up for a bruising challenge to President Donald Trump that will play out against the unprecedented backdrop of a pandemic, economic collapse and civil unrest. "It was an honor to compete alongside one of the most talented groups of candidates the Democratic party has ever fielded," Biden said in a statement Friday night, "and I…

By Bill Barrow and Kat Stafford Associated Press ATLANTA (AP) — Joe Biden says he "should not have been so cavalier" after he told a prominent black radio host that African Americans who back President Donald Trump "ain't black." The presumptive Democratic presidential nominee quickly moved to address the fallout from his Friday remark, which was interpreted by some as presuming black Americans would vote for him. In a call with the U.S. Black Chamber of Commerce that was added to his…

By Alexandra Jaffe and Bill Barrow Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden on Friday categorically denied allegations from a former Senate staffer that he sexually assaulted her in the early 1990s, saying "this never happened." Biden's first public remarks on the allegation by a former employee, Tara Reade, come at a critical moment for the presumptive Democratic nominee as he tries to relieve mounting pressure after weeks of leaving denials to his…

By Alexandra Jaffe, Julie Pace and Bill Barrow Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Former President Barack Obama endorsed Joe Biden in a video on Tuesday, giving the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee a boost from the party's biggest fundraiser and one of its most popular figures. "I believe Joe has all the qualities we need in a president right now," Obama said in a nearly 12- minute video, touting him as a "close friend" and lauding him for his perseverance and compassion.…

By Bill Barrow and Alexandra Jaffe Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Bernie Sanders endorsed Joe Biden's presidential campaign on Monday, encouraging his progressive supporters to rally behind the presumptive Democratic nominee in an urgent bid to defeat President Donald Trump. "I am asking all Americans, I'm asking every Democrat, I'm asking every independent, I'm asking a lot of Republicans, to come together in this campaign to support your candidacy, which I endorse," the Vermont…

By Steve Peoples AP National Political Writer The stage is set for November. Barring unforeseen disaster, Joe Biden will represent the Democratic Party against President Donald Trump this fall, the former vice president's place on the general election ballot cemented Wednesday by Bernie Sanders' decision to end his campaign. Biden likely won't secure the number of delegates needed to clinch the nomination until June. But without any Democratic rivals left, a general election campaign…

By Will Weissert Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Sen. Bernie Sanders, who saw his once strong lead in the Democratic primary evaporate as the party's establishment lined swiftly up behind rival Joe Biden, ended his presidential bid on Wednesday, an acknowledgment that the former vice president is too far ahead for him to have any reasonable hope of catching up. The Vermont senator's announcement makes Biden the presumptive Democratic nominee to challenge President Donald Trump in…

By Steve People and Will Weissert Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — New York billionaire Mike Bloomberg suspended his presidential campaign and Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren was reassessing her candidacy Wednesday as the winnowing process in the Democrats' 2020 nomination fight lurched forward after a consequential Super Tuesday.  Bloomberg quit the race just over 100 days after he got in despite pouring more than $500 million of his personal fortune into his campaign. The massive…

By Bill Barrow and Michael Rubinkam Associated Press SCRANTON, Pa. (AP) — Joe Biden cast President Donald Trump on Wednesday as a fraudulent populist whose tax policies, economic stewardship and erratic leadership have hurt U.S. workers and betrayed voters in the critical battleground state of Pennsylvania. After scrapping with fellow Democrats for weeks, Biden returned to his hometown of Scranton to focus on his ultimate foe: Trump. The former vice president sought to dent Trump's…