President Joe Biden said in an interview with ABC News host George Stephanopoulos on July 5. Claimed “Virginia Democratic Senator Mark Warner said: [presidential] Please nominate me as well.”
Verdict: Misleading
Several media outlets, including The New York Times, reported in 2006 that Warner had considered running for president in 2008 but ultimately decided not to.
Fact check:
In a July 8 letter to Democratic lawmakers, Biden rejected calls for him to “stand down” and end his reelection bid. The Hill“It's time to come together,” Biden said in the same letter, putting an end to rumors he was cancelling his campaign, according to the outlet.
In a July 5 interview with Stephanopoulos, Biden claimed Warner ran for president. “He ran for the nomination, too,” Biden said. “Mark is different. Mark and I have different views. I respect him,” Biden added. Biden made the claim after Stephanopoulos mentioned Warner. A recent report from The Washington Post It suggests that Warner is putting together a group of Democratic senators to try to persuade Biden to “step down.”
This claim is misleading. NBC News Warner reported that he decided not to run for president in 2008 due to family reasons. The report said the decision was the result of Warner's “research efforts” after he “toured states important to the Democratic nomination process” after his term as governor of Virginia ended. According to NBC News, although Warner gave up on his presidential bid, he did not rule out running for governor or the Senate in the future at the time.
Similarly, The New York Times In October 2006, The Post reported that Warner had decided not to run for president during the 2008 election cycle. The Post said that Warner announced his decision at a press conference in Richmond, Virginia, after “much thought, prayer and reflection.”
“Politically now seems like the right time to make a decision, but at this point I want to live a real life,” Warner said, explaining that his father's 81st birthday and a college tour with his eldest daughter, Madison, influenced his decision, The New York Times reported.
The Washington Post In a 2006 article, the Post also covered Warner's decision not to seek the Democratic nomination in 2008, speculating that he may not have been telling “the whole truth” about his choice. Warner said family circumstances influenced his decision, but the Post questioned whether the real reason the former Virginia Democratic governor did not run for president at the time was because of the possibility of “scandal” or a low chance of winning.
However, Warner's aides denied that any factors other than family involvement were involved, according to the outlet. (RELATED: Joe Biden Falsely Claims Zero Troops Died Overseas During His Presidency)
Moreover, the New York Times reported that the claim was misleading. Summary article for July 6th The article reiterated that Warner had considered running for president in 2008 but “announced that he would not run for president in 2010.” [Democratic] It was nominated in 2006.
Warner also withdrew from running as the Democratic presidential nominee in 2020 after donors reportedly urged him to join the race. CNBC “At this point, I'm not interested in running,” Warner said, according to CNBC.
In addition to the Washington Post, Hill, CNNand Axios The paper reported on Warner's alleged efforts to rally Democratic senators together to urge Biden to drop out of the 2024 presidential race.
Check Your Fact has reached out to spokespeople for the Biden campaign and Warner's office for comment and will update this article if they respond.
