Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) is being urged by aides and advisers to his 2020 presidential campaign to withdraw from the presidential race immediately, according to the Washington Post:

“The group includes campaign manager Faiz Shakir and Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), a top Sanders surrogate and ally, according to the people, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe sensitive private discussions.

“Sanders himself has become more open to the prospect of dropping out, according to one of the people with knowledge of the situation and another close ally, especially if he suffers a significant defeat in Tuesday’s Wisconsin primary, which polls suggest Joe Biden will win handily.”

The Post also notes that Jeff Weaver, a strategist to the Sanders campaign, has informed the Vermont senator that if he were to leave the race in the interest of unifying the Democratic Party, it would potentially give him a greater chance to help shape the party platform.

Others, such as Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) have told Sanders he needs to remain in the race. She, along with  Larry Cohen, a longtime Sanders ally, believe the senator should remain in the race until the Democratic National Convention, which will be held in August. For his part, Cohen has remarked:

“Millions of people are counting on him to be on the ballot so they can vote for that alternative vision that they support. And if he was not on the ballot, they will feel abandoned.”

Democratic presidential front-runner Joe Biden told donors on Friday that he had spoken with Sanders recently and informed him that he was already vetting potential running mates:

“He’s a friend. I don’t want him to think I’m being presumptuous, but you have to start now deciding who you’re going to have background checks done on as potential vice presidential candidates, and it takes time.”

Featured Image Via Fox News