Bernie Sanders has not ruled out 2024 bid, former campaign manager says

WASHINGTON - Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., has not ruled out a bid for president in 2024 if President Joe Biden does not want to re-elect, his former campaign manager wrote in a memo to allies Wednesday.

In the event of an open 2024 Democratic presidential primary, Sen. Sanders has not ruled out another run for president, so we advise that you answer any questions about 2024 with that in mind, according to a memo obtained by NBC News.

Sanders lost the Democratic presidential nomination in 2016 and 2020, but has become an increasingly influential voice in Democratic politics and policymaking. As chairman of the Senate Budget Committee, Sanders has helped promote a Biden agenda that reflects portions of his own platform.

The line about 2024 was the last of a long memo that Shakir described as containing close hold information, meaning not for public distribution, about Sanders' plans for the coming months.

Biden said he will seek a second term in 2024, but some Democrats are skeptical about whether he will follow through.

The Washington Post first reported on the memo.

The memo, called Embrace the Attacks, is a line of defense for candidates and their supporters who are getting hit for accepting Sanders' backing.

As the campaigning heats up in states across the country, your political opponents and their corporate allies try to make you feel defensive about Sen. Bernie Sanders support for your candidate, according to Shakir. Our advice is to embrace the attacks. He said an NBC News poll showing that Sanders endorsements are more likely to sway Democratic voters than Biden or Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y.

In a frequently asked questions section of the memo, Shakir answered the possibility of Sanders running against Biden without explicitly ruling it out.

Sen. Sanders is putting forward a very popular vision for the Democratic Party that will win back critical support that we lost, he wrote. Bernie wants to build power for the working class and take on the corporate socialism that our political system favors.