'I Know Hillary Will Be So Good At It': Obama Officially Endorses Clinton

WASHINGTON (CBSNewYork/AP) — Testifying to Hillary Clinton's grit and experience, President Barack Obama endorsed his former secretary of state's bid to succeed him on Thursday and urged Democrats to line up behind her. It was all part of a carefully orchestrated pressure campaign aimed at easing Clinton rival Bernie Sanders toward the exit and turning fully to the fight against Republican Donald Trump.

Obama's long-expected endorsement, delivered via web video, included a forceful call for unity and for "embracing" Sanders' economic message, which has fired up much of the liberal wing of his party. Obama sought to reassure Democrats that Clinton shares their values and is ready for the job.

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"Look, I know how hard this job can be. That's why I know Hillary will be so good at it," Obama said. "I have seen her judgment. I have seen her toughness. I've seen her commitment to our values."

In the video, Obama touched on his longstanding relationship with Clinton -- first as a fellow Democratic candidate in 2008 and later as his Secretary of State.

"Even after our own hard-fought campaign, in a testament to her character, she agreed to serve our country as secretary of state," Obama said.

"I have seen her judgement, I've seen her toughness. I've seen her commitment to our values up close," Obama said.

Obama also congratulated Democratic candidate Bernie Sanders for his work on the campaign trail, after meeting with him at the Oval Office on Thursday.

"I had a great meeting with him this week, and I thanked him for shining a spotlight on issues like economic inequality and the outsized influence of money in our politics and bring young people into the process."

Obama stressed the importance of unity within the Democratic Party leading up to the November elections.

"We'll build on the progress that we've made and build a brighter future for this country that we love."

Obama's testimonial came less than an hour after the president met privately with Sanders at the White House to discuss the future of Sanders so-called political revolution -- one that will not include him taking up residence at the White House. Sanders emerged from the meeting subdued and indicated he had gotten the message.

Although he stopped short of endorsing Clinton, the Vermont senator told reporters he planned to press for his "issues" -- rather than victory -- at the party's July convention and would work with Clinton to defeat Trump.

"Needless to say, I am going to do everything in my power and I will work as hard as I can to make sure that Donald Trump does not become president of the United States," Sanders said, standing in the White House driveway with his wife, Jane, at his side.

CBS2's Dick Brennan reported the president decided to leave any questions to White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest. He was asked if Obama's endorsement sends a signal to FBI agents investigating her emails to resolve the case in her favor.

"That investigation is being conducted independently without any political interference," Earnest said.

Earnest was also asked if the decision to get Osama bin Laden was Obama's alone.

"She was certainly in that picture, and she was also an architect," Earnest said.

After the announcement Donald Trump, the presumptive GOP nominee, took to Twitter:

"Obama just endorsed Crooked Hillary," he wrote. "He wants four more years of Obama -- but no one else does!"

Clinton fired back at Trump by simply telling him to 'delete your account.'

Clinton also thanked Obama, saying she was "honored" to have him on her side.

While Sanders and his campaign have not yet released an official statement on the announcement, the Vermont Sanders did echo the president's call for party unity following their Thursday meeting.

"But you all know it is more than Bernie Sanders. It is all of us together. Millions of people from coast to coast coming together," he tweeted.

Obama called  Clinton on Tuesday night to congratulate her for securing "the delegates necessary to clinch" the Democratic nomination for president.

On Wednesday, Reuters reported that Elizabeth Warren, a Democratic senator from Massachusetts, will soon endorse Clinton and has not ruled out serving as her vice president.

A source told Reuters the endorsement could come within a week or two. Sources also said that Warren wants to help Democrats defeat Donald Trump in November and also advance issues such as income inequality that's at the top of her agenda.

Obama and Clinton will make their first appearance together following the endorsement next week in Wisconsin. It's a state Obama won twice, but now there are apparently fears in the Clinton camp that it might now be in play.

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