Story highlights Joe Biden told ABC News, "I feel confident that Hillary will be the nominee and I feel confident she'll be the next president"

The vice president becomes the highest ranking administration official to predict Clinton's win

Washington (CNN) Vice President Joe Biden became the highest-ranking administration official Tuesday to publicly predict Hillary Clinton's ascension to her party's presidential nomination, telling an interviewer he was also sure she'd be elected president.

"I feel confident that Hillary will be the nominee and I feel confident she'll be the next president," Biden told ABC News

Until now, both Biden and President Barack Obama have withheld any predictions in the Democratic contest, choosing instead to remain neutral as the primary battle between Clinton and her rival, Sen. Bernie Sanders, waged on.

The contest lasted longer than many Democrats, including in the White House, expected. But in the interest of preserving party unity, Obama and Biden remain largely on the sidelines.

Even after he decided to forgo a bid himself for the top job , Biden stopped short of endorsing any candidate. While Biden didn't explicitly back Clinton in the short clip of ABC's interview, his remarks reflect an acknowledgment that Sanders has few routes left to securing the nomination.

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