US 2016 Presidential Elections: Obama Congratulates Clinton, Meets Sanders
Local Editor
US President Barack Obama congratulated Hillary Clinton on Tuesday for clinching the Democratic presidential nomination, and planned to meet with her party rival Bernie Sanders later this week, the White House said.
"President Obama called both Secretary Clinton and Senator Sanders (and) congratulated both candidates for running inspiring campaigns that have energized Democrats, brought a new generation of Americans into the political process, and shined a spotlight on important policy ideas," White House press secretary Josh Earnest said in a statement.
He said the president will meet with Sanders at the White House, "at Sanders' request," on Thursday.
This comes as Clinton declared victory in the Democratic presidential primary on Tuesday, marking the first time a woman will capture the nomination of a major political party in the United States' 240-year history.
Clinton, taking the stage at the Brooklyn Navy Yard while on the cusp of winning a majority of pledged delegates, delivered a soaring speech that appealed for party unity against Donald Trump ahead of what she framed as a battle for America's very identity as a nation.
Exulting under a glass ceiling before thousands of supporters, Clinton began by paying tribute to the history-making moment that precluded her eight years to the day when she conceded to Barack Obama in the 2008 Democratic primary.
"Tonight caps an amazing journey - a long, long journey," Clinton said.
"It may be hard to see tonight but we are all standing under a glass ceiling right now. But don't worry. We're not smashing this one. Thanks to you, we've reached a milestone. The first time in our nation's history that a woman will be a major party's nominee."
Upon accepting the mantle of party standard-bearer, Clinton then moved quickly to congratulate her rival Bernie Sanders while acknowledging the unlikely revolution that has routinely drawn crowds in the tens of thousands to the Vermont senator's rallies.
"He has spent his long career in public service fighting for progressive causes and principles and excited millions of people, especially young people," Clinton said.
The debates inspired by Sanders and his legion of supporters, she added, "have been very good for the Democratic party and for America".
Clinton spoke shortly after she secured an overwhelming victory in New Jersey. Ballots had not yet been counted in five other states voting on Tuesday, including California, where the result still hangs in the balance. Clinton was later declared the victor in the New Mexico primary, while Sanders had triumphed in North Dakota.
Sanders was set to address supporters in Santa Monica, holding out hope that California might deliver him a symbolic victory that would enable the senator to press on. Earlier in the evening, Sanders signaled he would not go quietly into the night - vowing to carry forth with his unlikely quest to persuade so-called superdelegates who have endorsed Clinton to reverse course and switch their allegiances to him.
"Defying history is what this campaign has been about," Sanders said in an interview with NBC's Nightly News, even as it was reported that he planned to lay off at least half of his staff on Wednesday.
Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team
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