US presidential race: Barack Obama backs Joe Biden’s campaign, attacks Donald Trump

Barack Obama backs Joe Biden’s campaign and calls on Americans to reject the politics of ‘corruption, ignorance and meanness’.

This screen grab from a video shows former President Barack Obama endorsing Joe Biden’s White House bid.

Barack Obama has endorsed Joe Biden’s campaign for president while launching a scathing attack on Donald Trump’s leadership saying Americans needed “a great awakening’’ to his divisive style of politics.

The former president’s message was the first time he has directly injected himself into the election campaign, with Democrats hoping it will boost Mr Biden at a time when Mr Trump’s leadership is being sorely tested by the coronavirus pandemic.

In an 12-minute video filmed in his Washington DC home, Mr Obama said that his former vice president had “the character and the experience to guide us through one of our darkest times and heal us through a long recovery.

“If there’s one thing we’ve learned as a country from moments of great crisis, it’s that the spirit of looking out for one another can’t be restricted to our homes or our workplaces, or our neighbourhoods or our houses of worship. It also has to be reflected in our national government,” Mr Obama said.

“The kind of leadership that’s guided by knowledge and experience, honesty and humility, empathy and grace,” he continued. “That kind of leadership doesn’t just belong in our state capitals and mayor’s offices. It belongs in the White House. And that’s why I’m so proud to endorse Joe Biden for president of the United States.”

I’m proud to endorse my friend @JoeBiden for President of the United States. Let's go: https://t.co/maHVGRozkX

— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) April 14, 2020

Mr Obama launched a rare public attack on Mr Trump, accusing the president and the Republican leadership of seeking power rather than progress.

He called on Americans to unite in a “great awakening against a politics that too often has been characterised by corruption, carelessness, self-dealing, disinformation, ignorance and just plain meanness”.

He accused them of having “disregarded American principles of rule of law, and voting rights, and transparency” aided by “a propaganda network with little regard for the truth.”

Mr Biden thanked Mr Obama saying “Barack — This endorsement means the world to Jill and me. We’re going to build on the progress we made together, and there’s no one I’d rather have standing by my side’’.

President Obama understands, as I do, that we will come through this crisis stronger. And then we’ll not only rebuild this nation — we will transform it. https://t.co/nlilxxpA91

— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) April 14, 2020

Mr Obama chose not to endorse any of the two dozen Democrat presidential candidates during the primary contests, waiting until the 77-year-old Mr Biden was the winner before giving his endorsement.

Mr Biden’s last remaining rival, Bernie Sanders, dropped out of the race a week ago and this week Senator Sanders also endorsed Mr Biden.

Mr Obama said Mr Biden was the right leader to deal with the current pandemic saying he “helped me manage H1N1 and prevent the Ebola epidemic from becoming the type of pandemic we’re seeing now”.

“Pandemics have a way of cutting through a lot of noise and spin to remind us of what is real and what is important,’ Mr Obama said. “This crisis has reminded us that government matters. It’s reminded us that good government matters. That facts and science matter. That the rule of law matters. That having leaders who are informed and honest and seek to bring people together rather than drive them apart — those kind of leaders matter. In other words, elections matter.”

Then US Vice President Joe Biden speaks watched by US President Barack Obama in 2016.

Mr Obama also praised Senator Sanders, whose left-wing supporters will be needed by the Democrats if they are to defeat Mr Trump in November’s election.

“Bernie’s an American original — a man who has devoted his life to giving voice to working people’s hopes, dreams, and frustrations,’’ Mr Obama said. “He and I haven’t always agreed on everything, but we’ve always shared a conviction that we have to make America a fairer, more just, more equitable society.’’

He hinted that the Democratic Party needed to move further to the left than his own administration did on issues including health care and climate change.

“For the second time in 12 years, we’ll have the incredible task of rebuilding our economy. And to meet the moment, the Democratic Party will have to be bold,” he said.

“Even before the pandemic turned the world upside down, it was already clear we needed real structural change.”

The Trump campaign played down the importance of Mr Obama’s endorsement, saying the former president has little choice.

“Now that Biden is the only candidate left in the Democrat field, Obama has no other choice but to support him,” Trump campaign manager Brad Parscale said.

(Cameron Stewart is also US Contributor for Sky News Australia)