Sen. Bernie Sanders Bernie SandersSenate Republicans signal openness to working with Biden Hillicon Valley: DOJ indicts Chinese, Malaysian hackers accused of targeting over 100 organizations | GOP senators raise concerns over Oracle-TikTok deal | QAnon awareness jumps in new poll Schumer, Sanders call for Senate panel to address election security MORE (I-Vt.) said Wednesday that his Democratic presidential primary opponent former Vice President Joe Biden Joe BidenThe Memo: Warning signs flash for Trump on debates Senate Republicans signal openness to working with Biden National postal mail handlers union endorses Biden MORE is winning African American voters' support by running on his ties to President Obama.

Asked by MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow Rachel Anne MaddowMichael Cohen: Trump hates Obama because he's everything he 'wants to be' The Hill's 12:30 Report - Presented by Facebook - Trump floats 0M+ in personal spending for reelection bid Feehery: Unconventionally debunking the latest political conventional wisdom MORE on his inability to win over black voters, Sanders said he’s “running against somebody who has touted his relationship with Barack Obama Barack Hussein ObamaGOP senator blocks Schumer resolution aimed at Biden probe as tensions run high D-Day for Trump: September 29 Obama says making a voting plan is part of 'how to quarantine successfully' MORE” throughout the entirety of his campaign, adding that Obama is “enormously popular” with the majority of Democrats and African American voters.

“[It’s] not that I’m not popular; Biden is running with his ties to Obama,” Sanders told Maddow. “And that's working well.”

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Pressed on his lack of support with black voters back in his 2016 race, as well, Sanders said he was running against former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton Hillary Diane Rodham ClintonBarr criticizes DOJ in speech declaring all agency power 'is invested in the attorney general' Virginia Democrat blasts Trump's 'appalling' remark about COVID-19 deaths in 'blue states' The Hill's Campaign Report: Biden asks if public can trust vaccine from Trump ahead of Election Day | Oklahoma health officials raised red flags before Trump rally MORE as a “virtually unknown” candidate.

“Now I’m running against Barack Obama's vice president," he said.

Support from black voters propelled Biden to his first win in South Carolina and boosted him in wins across Southern states in races on Super Tuesday. Biden is now slightly leading Sanders in the delegate count, although Sanders has the opportunity to take the lead once the delegates from California are finished being allocated.

Much of Biden’s boost has been credited to his endorsement from House Majority Whip James Clyburn (D-S.C.). The congressman said Sanders did not ask for his endorsement.

Sanders told Maddow that's true.

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“It is no secret, Jim is a very nice guy, his politics are not my politics,” Sanders said. “[There’s] no way in God's earth he was going to be endorsing me.”

Despite Sanders's critique of Biden capitalizing on his relationship with Obama, the Vermont senator on Wednesday released his own ad featuring the former president.

He told Maddow that although Obama is not his “best friend,” he has a lot of respect for the former president, who has repeatedly said that he will refrain from endorsing a candidate until after the nominating process is completed.

“I know there's enormous pressure on him to support Biden," Sanders said. "The fact that he’s not doing that makes me respect them even more."

Sanders also told Maddow that the former two-term Democratic president is not part of the "Democratic establishment" that Sanders says he is campaigning against.