The final sprint to Super Tuesday

By Jessica Estepa and Kyle Blaine, CNN

Updated 11:53 p.m. ET, March 2, 2020
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10:13 p.m. ET, March 2, 2020

Biden thanks Klobuchar for her endorsement, calls her "one of the most effective senators"

Richard W. Rodriguez/AP
Richard W. Rodriguez/AP

Joe Biden share his appreciation for Sen. Amy Klobuchar tonight during a rally in Dallas, characterizing her presidential campaign as one that was "all about what we can get done."

"She knows how to get things done. She really does. That's why Amy has never lost. And she's not losing now," Biden said following Klobuchar's speech where she endorsed the former vice president. "You'll hear a lot from Amy Klobuchar. For a long time. That's why she's one of the most effective senators in the United States Senate. Her campaign was all about what we can get done. How to make America better every day in simple straightforward ways."

Biden also used the opportunity to criticize President Trump.

"Amy spoke of something I have made central in my campaign for president as well. To compete and complete the total lack of empathy and decency in this current president. He cannot stay there. He cannot stay. We all know it. There is no sense of decency and honor. The way he ridicules people and demeans people. Talks about and demonizes people who are different," Biden said.

10:03 p.m. ET, March 2, 2020

Klobuchar ends campaign and endorses Biden at Dallas rally

From CNN's Kate Sullivan

CNN
CNN

Amy Klobuchar ended her presidential campaign on Monday night and endorsed Joe Biden at a Biden campaign event in Dallas, Texas. 

“It is up to us, all of us, to put our country back together, to heal this country and then to build something even greater. I believe we can do this together, and that is why today I am ending my campaign and endorsing Joe Biden for president,” Klobuchar said. 

“(Biden) can bring our country together and build that coalition of our fired-up Democratic base, and it is fired up, as well as Independents and moderate Republicans, because we do not in our party want to just eek by a victory. We want to win big. And Joe Biden can do that,” Klobuchar said. 

Hear from Sen. Klobuchar:

9:36 p.m. ET, March 2, 2020

Sanders makes appeal to Buttigieg and Klobuchar supporters

From CNN's Kate Sullivan

Bernie Sanders said he wanted to open the door to supporters of Pete Buttigieg and Amy Klobuchar, who are both expected to endorse Joe Biden for President on Monday night.

“Before I begin, I want to mention to you what I think all of you know, and they know that, you know that your Senator Amy Klobuchar dropped out of the presidential race today,” Sanders said at a rally in Minnesota, Klobuchar’s home state. 

“I’ve known Amy for a very long time,” Sanders continued. “We came into the Senate together in 2006, and she is one of the hardest workers that I know. I like Amy.”

“And yesterday, Pete Buttigieg dropped out of the race as well,” Sanders said. “And as you all know, Pete's campaign was a historic campaign and a brave campaign. He is the first openly gay candidate for President of the United States."

“And tonight, I want to open the door to Amy's supporters, to Pete's supporters. I know that there are political differences, but I also know that virtually all of Amy's support and Pete's support understand that we have got to move toward a government which believes in justice, not greed,” Sanders said. 

8:55 p.m. ET, March 2, 2020

Biden on dealing with the coronavirus: "I'd let the scientists make the decisions"

Former Vice President Joe Biden took shots at President Trump and his handling of the coronavirus outbreak and how the the President has made it "always about him."

"I would take steps we took when we dealt with ebola. I would not have disbanded the office within the White House that Trump eliminated. I would not be in a position where I would have waited until now to try to figure how you get testing kits put in place. We knew back in January. I would have been in a position where I would not have eviscerated the budget of the CDC. I'd let the scientists make the decisions," Biden said.

Biden wanted to make sure Trump understands that the outbreak is "about the American people."

"It's about what's happening in the world and he hasn't listened to any of the experts that have spoken, as best as I can tell. Because all that he's done hasn't been very helpful," Biden said.

Trump and the coronavirus: Trump and other White House officials are on the attack against the coronavirus, but also against the President’s critics, who say his administration was slow to respond to the burgeoning pandemic and aren’t doing enough to protect Americans.

At a February 27 press conference meant to reassure the public, Trump seemed to spend more time defending his own actions than explaining what was being done to combat the coronavirus.

“I took a lot of heat,” Trump said about the travel ban he imposed in January, which blocked people who were in China from entering the United States. “Some people called me racist because I made a decision so early… It was a bold decision, and it turned out to be a good decision.”

Watch:

8:43 p.m. ET, March 2, 2020

Biden is ready to be president because he's "gotten things done"

CNN
CNN

Joe Biden fired back against comments made by Michael Bloomberg claiming the former vice president is a legislator and "not a manager."

"It requires somebody who has gotten things done. Requires someone who understands how to bring people together. Requires a Democrat by the way to be a democratic president. And it requires someone who has a track record and the President handed me significant responsibility and presidential authority when I was the vice president. I'm the guy that managed the $900 billion recovery act. I got the votes for it and I got it passed, and then managed it day-to-day. I did the same thing in a number of foreign policy issues," Biden told CNN's Anderson Cooper tonight.

Biden added: "The next president on day one has to be ready to stand up and command the world stage and unite this country."

Hear from Former VP Biden:

8:37 p.m. ET, March 2, 2020

Sanders hopes that Trump knows "the coronavirus is a major, major threat"

Bernie Sanders was critical of President Trump and how he has handled the coronavirus outbreak that has spanned the globe.

"Well, look. That Trump would appoint Mike Pence as the head of the task force on the coronavirus just speaks to how far out of touch Trump is with reality or his disrespect for science. We need scientists running our response to the coronavirus, not a politician like Pence who barely believes in science at all. So I would hope very much that Trump understands that the coronavirus is a major, major threat not only to our country, but to the entire world," Sanders told CNN's Anderson Cooper tonight.

Sanders said he hopes that Trump and his administration will continue to work and utilize the expertise of organizations like the National Institute of Health and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

"We've got to work with the international community. We've got to work with the World Health Organization. We have to adequately fund our hospitals, our doctors, the NIH, the CDC. This is, despite what Trump may think. ... Trump is also the genius that told us that climate change is also a hoax. So what we need to do is have Congress demand that we adequately fund our response that we work with the global community and that we have scientists running the program, not politicians who don't believe in science," Sanders added.

More on the coronavirus: The novel coronavirus has killed more than 3,000 people, the vast majority in mainland China. There are now more than 88,000 global cases, with infections on every continent except Antarctica.

Watch:

8:28 p.m. ET, March 2, 2020

Sanders does not regret being labeled a democratic socialist

Of all the things people call Sen. Bernie Sanders, one that he agrees with wholeheartedly is being labelled a democratic socialist.

When asked by CNN's Anderson Cooper tonight whether he regretted being labelled as such, the Vermont senator said, "I am what I am."

"I am what I am and what democratic socialism is about to me is understanding that we have in many ways, a socialist society today. But it is not Dr. Martin Luther king Jr. reminded us, we have socialism for the rich and rugged individualism and for the poor and other people," Sanders said.

Sanders then set his sights on Trump, who he claims has abused a system of "socialism for the rich."

"When Donald Trump was a private businessman, he received $800 million in breaks and subsidies. That's called socialism for the rich. When Amazon doesn't pay a nickel in income tax last year, that's called socialism for the rich. When we give billions of tax breaks to the fossil fuel industry who's destroying our planet, that's called socialism for the rich. What I want to do is bring government programs to help working families," Sanders said.

Hear from Sen. Sanders:

8:18 p.m. ET, March 2, 2020

Sanders to Trump: Stay out of the Democratic primary

Bernie Sanders in an interview with CNN said President Donald Trump should stay out of the Democratic race for president.

"President Trump -- stay out of the Democratic primary," Sanders said.

Earlier on Monday, Trump tweeted that "they" were "staging a coup against Bernie," seemingly in reference Democrats rallying around Joe Biden after his victory in South Carolina and ahead of Super Tuesday.

See the moment:

8:17 p.m. ET, March 2, 2020

Sanders: Wall Street and political establishment "do not want me to become president"

CNN
CNN

Bernie Sanders spoke with CNN's Anderson Cooper tonight about his presidential campaign and the consolidation of the moderate vote following Pete Buttigieg and Amy Klobuchar dropping out of the race for the White House.

"From day one, we have been taking on the establishment. Whether it's the corporate establishment on Wall Street, the drug company, the insurance companies, the fossil fuel industry or the political establishment. Let me be very clear, it is no surprise they do not want me to become president because our administration will transform this country to create an economy and a government that works for all of the people not just the 1%," Sanders said.

One of the key reasons why the Vermont senator is running is to defeat President Trump, he said.

"It will not be the same old same old. But the other reason I am running is to defeat Donald Trump. And the fact of the matter is if we want to defeat Donald Trump, we're going to need a campaign that has energy and excitement that can speak to working people, young people, people who have given up on the political establishment," Sanders said.

Watch: