Super Tuesday: Bloomberg endorses Biden in bid 'to defeat Trump' as Sanders launches fresh attack on frontrunner
Follow the latest coverage, as it happened
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Donald Trump has taken to Twitter to mock Michael Bloomberg after he dropped out of the Democratic 2020 race and to sow division among progressive candidates Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren following the party’s Super Tuesday primaries, accusing the latter of splitting the vote and damaging her friend and rival’s chances in key regions.
Former US vice president Joe Biden was the big winner as 14 states went to the polls yesterday, completing the comeback he began at last weekend’s South Carolina primary by claiming at least nine key states including Texas, with Maine also projected to be confirmed in his favour.
Sanders did take home the top prize, the delegate-rich state of California, but otherwise secured only three others, an outcome that saw the moderate wing of the party come together emphatically to back Biden.
In the fallout of those contests, Mr Bloomberg held a rally in New York City where he announced he was endorsing Mr Biden.
Mr Sanders, meanwhile, opened fresh lines of attack on Mr Biden as the two gear up for a two-man race going forward.
And, Ms Warren's team suggested she is considering her path forward — with many believing that means she plans on dropping out of the race imminently.
Follow live updates
Bernie Sanders campaign to supporters: 'Looking forward to a good - if not very long - night'
In a fundraising message to supporters, the Vermont Senator's campaign - after winning Vermont and Colorado - says the results "will get better and better for our campaign as we get later into the evening."
The campaign appears to be anticipating a stronger performance from Joe Biden than expected tonight and is bracing itself for states' primaries in the weeks ahead.
"A number of states we expect to do well in either end later or will get called later. But it’s going to be a good night for us when it’s all said and done.
"Now that the field has narrowed and the financial elite and political establishment have their choice, the outside spending we are going to face will only increase.
"Us against everyone. But that is how the fight for change has always gone in the history of this country. 'Power concedes nothing without a fight. It never did, and it never will', as Frederick Douglass said."
Bernie Sanders tells supporters he is 'absolutely going to win the Democratic nomination'
Speaking from Vermont, where he won his race for Burlington mayor 31 years ago today, Bernie Sanders says his campaign is "absolutely going to win the Democratic nomination, and we are gong to defeat the most dangerous president in the history of this country" as he faced a hometown crowd chanting "Bernie!"
"You cannot beat Trump with the same ol', same ol' kind of politics", he said. "What we need is a new politics that brings working class people into our political movement, that brings young people into our political movement, and in November will create the highest voter turnout in American political history."
He said the race between him and Joe Biden is a "contrast in ideas" between a senator who opposed the Iraq War ("you’re looking at him") and another who voted for it, as well as opposing views on cutting Social Security and other issues on which both men are in stark contrast.
Biden has won several states tonight, cementing his lead in the South, as Sanders pursues major victories in delegate-heavy Texas and California.
Joe Biden: 'They don’t call it Super Tuesday for nothing'
The former vice president has collected 120 delegates so far tonight, compared to Bernie Sanders' 54.
He told supporters in Los Angeles: "It’s a good night and it’s going to get even better."
The two men are looking ahead to delegate-heavy Texas and California, where polls are set to close soon despite long lines and heavy voter turnout at polling locations throughout the state.
Mr Sanders is projected to win the state.
After stressing "access to care" and investing in finding cures for cancer, Alzheimers and diabetes, his "standing up to the NRA" and "leading the world taking on the existential threat of climate change", Mr Biden made repeated appeals to the middle class and attacked Donald Trump, who he says does not possess " a single sense of empathy, no compassion."
"We cannot become like him", he said.
Bernie projected to win California, capturing Super Tuesday's biggest delegate state
After early projections have called California for Bernie Sanders, his campaign manager Faiz Shakir said in an email to supporters that "we always said the night would get better as it progressed, and our California victory is big."
"This race is on. The super PACs will spend extraordinary sums of money to beat us in the states that follow. We need to be ready."
Voters still in line hours after polls close
People are still waiting in massive lines outside of Texas polling precincts hours after voting has "closed" and pundits speculate winners without all the votes collected.
Voters are legally able to cast their votes if they're in line.
The Independent's Andrew Buncombe on Joe Biden's Super Tuesday:
Call it the luck of the Irish. Or else call it political consolidation. Or else call it the fact that lots of people in the Democratic establishment appear terrified at the prospect of Bernie Sanders being the party’s presidential nominee.
On Super Tuesday, that much-storied landmark in America’s political calendar, all of those things appeared to combine to further winnow the field and set up a blockbuster finish.
Having been written off as old and out of touch, and with his campaign asking itself how much longer it could continue after dismal results in Iowa and New Hampshire, Joe Biden is back in the game in a major way.
The Independent's Holly Baxter asks: "With a defeat in her home state, the humiliation of Elizabeth Warren is complete. So what now?"
The race for the Democratic nomination appears to be back where it started. The party's establishment has coalesced around the VP, and Bernie Sanders is urging for a new politics to replace the status quo.
Their wins tonight - some too close to call - set them up for a tight race ahead.
A look at what happened on Super Tuesday:
Joe Biden wins Texas primary, projections say
After Bernie's California win is confirmed, Biden appears to have secured the second-largest trove of delegates on Super Tuesday by winning the Lone Star State.
The former vice president's win in Texas - just declared by the Associated Press - was supported by undecided late voters who ultimately backed Biden.
According to exit polls, nearly half of voters who picked their candidate in the last few days supported Biden, while one in five of those voters - representing roughly a quarter of the Democratic electorate - backed Sanders, who was narrowly defeated in the state after securing California, home to the largest share of delegates.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments