Joe Biden disclosed Friday evening he has told his Democratic rival Bernie Sanders that he is moving forward with Cabinet and vice presidential picks.

Biden told donors at a virtual fundraising event his campaign is to unveil a committee to vet potential vice presidential candidates “sometime in the middle of the month," and said he has held discussions with others about potential Cabinet positions.


"One of the things I learned a long time ago, and I really mean this, a good leader has to be willing to have people that are smarter than them, know more than they know about a subject, bring in people who in fact have an expertise you don’t have,” Biden said, according to a pool report.

“And so I am in the process and I actually had this discussion with Bernie. He’s a friend. We’re competitors. 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,” Biden added.

It was the first time the former vice president has disclosed holding a private conversation with Sanders since the Democratic primary became a two-person race. Conversations have been happening at a staff level between the two camps.

Sanders has said recently he believes he still has a narrow path to the nomination, despite a significant delegate deficit against Biden.


In Friday’s remarks, Biden also disclosed he’s leaned on former President Barack Obama for advice on the process of Cabinet picks.

“So I called President Obama, not as to who but how soon you have to start that. Now the convention’s been moved back now another month so there’s more time now,” Biden said. “It’s kind of presumptuous, but sometime in the middle of the month we’re going to announce a committee that’s going to be overseeing the vice presidential selection process.”