Bernie Sanders chose not to give a speech Tuesday night after getting an electoral drubbing from Joe Biden in Michigan, Missouri and other states.

It was a defeat that one of his most prominent supporters, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, did not deny.

'Let's talk about it. Someone says tell us it'll be ok. There's no sugar coating it, tonight's a tough night, for the movement overall,' the first-term lawmaker and left wing firebrand said in a video live-feed posted to her Instagram account. 'Tonight's a tough night electorally,' she added.

Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., visits outside a polling location at Warren E. Bow Elementary School in Detroit, Tuesday, March 10, 2020. He decided not to make a speech Tuesday night as poor results came in against Joe Biden

The assessment underlined Sanders' own acknowledgement through his absence. Both he and Biden had cancelled planned election night rallies due to the coronavirus. But Biden chose to deliver somber remarks before staff at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia where he thanked Sanders in a gesture typical of victory speeches.

It was not immediately known if Sanders still intends to fight a long primary battle against Biden as he did against Hillary Clinton in 2016, after a night when delegate math swung decisively against him.

'I want to thank Bernie Sanders and his supporters for their tireless energy and their passion. We share a common goal, and together we'll defeat Donald Trump. We'll defeat him together,' said Biden.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez addressed the state of the race in a video chat

Ocasio-Cortez acknowledged the 'tough night electorally,' days after rallying with Sanders in Ann Arbor, Michigan

'We share a common goal, and together we'll defeat Donald Trump. We'll defeat him together,' Joe Biden said in remarks directed at Sanders supporters

Biden appeared with his wife, Jill, in Philadelphia

Caliph Mathis carries the podium that had been set up for Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden away after his primary night rally was cancelled at the Cuyahoga Community College Recreation Center due to the threat posed by the COVID-19 (Coronavirus) on March 10, 2020 in Cleveland, Ohio

A supporter of Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., holds a sign outside the Huntington Convention Center of Cleveland before a campaign rally, Tuesday, March 10, 2020, in Cleveland. The Cleveland rally was canceled due to concerns about COVID-19

U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) greets U.S. Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders during a rally at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan, U.S. March 8, 2020. But it was Joe Biden who won Washtenaw County, where the school is located

'There's no sugar coating it, tonight's a tough night, for the movement overall,' said Ocasio-Cortez, just days after speaking to cheering Sanders supporters

Sanders was at his home in Burlington.

Biden was leading him 53 to 38 in Michigan, a state cast as a must-win where Sanders scored an upset over Clinton in 2016. In Missouri, Biden was up 60 to 35 with 84 per cent of precincts reporting. In Mississippi, it was a total blowout, with an 81 to 15 margin with 87 per cent of the vote in, thanks to Biden's huge lead among black voters.

In Washington state, it was a horse race with 68 per cent of the vote in.

The lopsided win was taking its toll in delegate math, with Biden holding an edge in states voting in the coming days, including delegate-rich Florida.

Said Andrew Yang, who endorsed Sanders in 2016 but swung to Biden on air Tuesday: 'The math isn't there' for Sanders.' Yang's campaign slogan was MATH, Make America Think Again.

Biden's big wins followed stunning victories on Super Tuesday and in South Carolina. Both were followed by a round of endorsements from former rivals.

The two top Democrats are scheduled to debate Sunday in Arizona.

Biden is still short of the 1,991 to win the nomination outright, and Sanders could choose to fight him all the way to the convention in Milwaukee this summer. Sanders has said the candidate who secures the most delegates should be the nominee, even if they only get a plurality of them.