Biden: I Didn't Ask for Obama's Endorsement

Joe Biden has already racked up quite a few endorsements since formally entering the 2020 presidential race Thursday morning, but none of them was from Barack Obama. The Republican National Committee was quick to jump on that, issuing a statement reading in part, "We don’t need eight more years of Biden. Just ask President Obama, who isn’t even endorsing his right-hand man." But Biden revealed that he actually asked Obama not to endorse him, USA Today reports. "I asked President Obama not to endorse," he told reporters at a Delaware Amtrak station. "Whoever wins this nomination should win it on their own merits."

Obama did have kind words for his former VP after Biden entered the race, issuing a statement through his spokesperson reading, "President Obama has long said that selecting Joe Biden as his running mate in 2008 was one of the best decisions he ever made. He relied on the Vice President’s knowledge, insight, and judgment throughout both campaigns and the entire presidency. The two forged a special bond over the last 10 years and remain close today." Obama does not appear to have publicly endorsed anyone in the 2020 race. As for Biden's endorsers, Roll Call rounds up at least seven members of Congress so far. (Here's what Trump had to say about Biden's entry into the race.)