Amid the coronavirus outbreak, there is still a Democratic presidential primary going on.
While several states have postponed their primaries, some Democrats have argued that it is time for Sen. Bernie Sanders (Vt.) to end his presidential campaign so the party can unify behind former Vice President Joe Biden.
During an appearance on ABC’s “The View” on Wednesday, co-host Whoopi Goldberg asked Sanders, “Why are you still in the race?”
“Last I heard, people in a democracy have a right to vote,” Sanders responded. “And they have a right to vote for the agenda that they think can work for America especially in this very, very difficult moment.”
“We are assessing our campaign, as a matter of fact, where we want to go forward, but people in a democracy do have a right to vote,” he added.
Watch the video below:
Sen. @BernieSanders when asked why he’s staying in the race: "Last I heard, people in a democracy have a right to vote, and they have a right to vote for the agenda that they think can work for America.”
— The View (@TheView) April 1, 2020
“We are assessing our campaign,” he adds. https://t.co/9EgCsAUT3q pic.twitter.com/voCGRgMRm5
Sanders continued to say that he is working on a fourth relief bill with his Congressional colleagues and said that he is focused on making sure Americans can meet their financial needs, instead of the campaign.
Sanders’ comments come after he said that he still has a shot of winning the Democratic presidential nomination. Although, he admitted, “It is admittedly a narrow path.”
Despite Sanders’ insistence that there is still a chance he could win the nomination, Biden said that he is “confident” that he will win the nomination, as IJR previously reported.
“I feel confident about being the nominee,” Biden said during an interview on MSNBC. He added, “I don’t see much that’s going to be able to change that.”
While allies of Biden argue that Sanders will not accomplish much by staying in the race, Sanders’ supporters suggest a prolonged primary would be better for Biden.
The latest delegate count shows Biden has won 1,217 delegates. He needs 1,991 to clinch the nomination. Meanwhile, Sanders trails by just over 300 delegates having received 914 delegates. Biden’s allies have suggested that Sanders cannot overcome Biden’s delegate lead with the remaining 27 primary states.