Obama Congratulates Clinton; Thanks Sanders For Energizing Voters
WASHINGTON (CBSNewYork/AP) -- President Barack Obama called Hillary Clinton on Tuesday night to congratulate her for securing "the delegates necessary to clinch" the Democratic nomination for president.
But the president did not formally endorse Clinton.
The White House said the president also called Vermont U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders to praise him for shining a spotlight on economic inequality and energizing millions of voters.
The statement said that Obama and Sanders would meet at the White House on Thursday.
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White House officials said Monday that Obama was on the verge of formally endorsing his former secretary of state. He then planned to aggressively make the case against Republican Donald Trump.
Sanders is also set to meet with Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid on Thursday.
Clinton had enough delegates and superdelegates to clinch the nomination even before the Tuesday primaries, and had enough pledged delegates alone upon winning New Jersey, New Mexico and South Dakota on Tuesday. CBS News also estimated that Clinton was likely to win in California, but Sanders won in North Dakota.
The primary in Montana remained too close to call early Wednesday.
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