Bernie Sanders drops out of 2020 Democratic presidential campaign

Washington, Apr 08: Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders of Vermont dropped out of the Democratic presidential race on Wednesday during a conference call with staff, making former Vice President Joe Biden the presumptive nominee to face Republican Donald Trump in the November 3 election.

"Today I am suspending my campaign. But while the campaign ends, the struggle for justice continues on," Sanders, 78, said.

The announcement from the Vermont Senator was expected as he had not done well in the recent Democratic primaries against Biden, 77, who has now taken a substantial lead over him after winning a series of key Democratic presidential primaries.

"Sanders's withdrawal from the race concludes a quest for the White House that began five years ago in relative obscurity but ultimately elevated him as a champion of the working class, a standard-bearer of American liberalism and the leader of a self-styled political revolution," The New York Times commented.