Updated 4:11 p.m.
President Barack Obama conveyed to Democratic donors Friday at a private fundraiser in Austin, Texas that it was about time for them to throw their support behind Hillary Clinton for president, according to The New York Times.
The three anonymous attendees who spoke to the Times said Obama did not make an endorsement and said either candidate would make a good president. While his remarks did not amount to a call for Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) to leave the race, he did suggest Sanders’ campaign was nearing its end, according to the report.
Obama also went further in his candid remarks about Clinton after reporters had left the room. A White House official confirmed to the newspaper that the President acknowledged not all voters were “excited” by Clinton’s campaign, but those present for his speech said Obama urged donors to unite in order to box out the eventual Republican presidential nominee.
White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest addressed the report Thursday during his daily media briefing. He told reporters that he was in the room for the speech and reiterated that Obama did not indicate his preference between the candidates.
“What I’ll just say in general is that President Obama made the case that would be familiar to all of you, which is that as Democrats through this competitive primary process, we need to be mindful of the fact that our success in November in electing a Democratic president will depend on the commitment and ability of the Democratic Party to come together behind our nominee, and the president did not indicate or specify a preference in the race,” Earnest said, as quoted by Politico.
The Democratic National Committee event was hosted by real estate executive Kirk Rudy and tickets cost as much as $33,400, according to the Times.
