Barack Obama 'to endorse Joe Biden in a video message today'

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Former President Barack Obama will endorse Joe Biden as the Democratic Party presidential candidate later on Tuesday, according to multiple reports.

The endorsement will be made in a video message in which Mr Obama will explain why he believes his former vice president is the person to lead America out of the current pandemic crisis.

The news comes just a day after former presidential candidate Senator Bernie Sanders offered his endorsement of Mr Biden in a live video stream.

President Obama avoided commenting on the primaries as the race for the party's nomination unfolded in 2019 and early 2020.

He did offer advice behind the scenes, according to NBC News, and in recent weeks spoke with Mr Sanders to help work out a way forward for the party as a Biden nomination began to look inevitable.

Mr Obama hopes to help unify the party to focus on its campaign goal of replacing President Donald Trump in November's general election.