Amy Klobuchar endorses Joe Biden: 'Vote for decency, vote for dignity, vote for a heart for our country' – updates

Show Caption Hide Caption What is Super Tuesday and why is it important? A previous version of this video displayed an incorrect date in a graphic. It was 1988 when 14 Southern and border states held their primaries.

Voters in 14 states will soon head to the polls for Super Tuesday primaries; check here for early updates

Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar officially ended her candidacy for the Democratic presidential nomination to endorse former Vice President Joe Biden on Monday night at a rally in Dallas, saying that she “can't think of a better way to end my campaign than joining his."

Klobuchar emphasized the need to beat the "divider-in-chief" in November.

"Vote for Joe. Vote for decency, vote for dignity, vote for a heart for our country. That is what he will bring to the White House," she declared.

Klobuchar quickly got to the heart of her endorsement: that the Democratic Party needs to unify quickly to beat President Donald Trump.

“If we spend the next four months dividing our party, we will spend the next four years watching Donald Trump tear apart this country,” Klobuchar said.

After the endorsement, Biden said that he was “honored” to have the endorsement of the most “effective senator in the United States Senate,” while also joking that he was excited to not have face her on the debate stage again, because she had “won” all the previous ones.

“She’s never lost and she’s not losing now,” Biden continued, declaring that “you’re going to hear a lot more” from Klobuchar.

— Savannah Behrmann

In Texas, Pete Buttigieg says he's 'delighted' to endorse Joe Biden

Pete Buttigieg declared that he was “delighted” to endorse former Vice President Joe Biden for the Democratic nomination Monday night.

“When I ran for president, we made it clear that the whole idea is about rallying the country together, to defeat Donald Trump, and to win the era for the values that we share. And, that was always a goal that was much bigger than me becoming President,” Buttigieg said at a stop ahead of a Biden rally in Dallas, Texas.

He continued, “It is in the name of that very same goal that I am delighted to endorse and support Joe Biden for president.

WATCH: Pete Buttigieg endorses Joe Biden in the Democratic primary: "I'm delighted to endorse and support Joe Biden for president." pic.twitter.com/W7fMuQiStK — NBC News (@NBCNews) March 3, 2020

Of the endorsement, Biden said that Buttigieg “reminds me of my son Beau."

In 2015, Beau Biden, Delaware's attorney general, died of brain cancer. The death of his son ultimately derailed Biden's initial plans to run for president in 2016.

"It's the highest compliment I could give to any man or woman," Biden said of the comparison, reiterating that Buttigieg’s character mimics that of Beau’s, and gives him hope.

“I can’t tell you how much it means to me,” Biden said of Buttigieg’s endorsement. "Pete knows that the role of the president is not just to fight, is not just to win, it's to heal."

Also Monday, Biden told Texas TV station KHOU that he’d look to Buttigieg to join his administration if he wins the presidency.

On Sunday, Buttigieg announced he was ending the presidential campaign in which he made history as the first openly gay man to win delegates in the race for the nomination of a major political party.

— Savannah Behrmann

Beto O'Rourke joins Democrats unifying behind Joe Biden

Shortly after Pete Buttigieg and Amy Klobuchar endorsed Joe Biden on Monday night, former Texas Rep. Beto O’Rourke also threw his support behind the former vice president.

O’Rourke became well-known during his Senate race against Republican incumbent Ted Cruz in 2018 before beginning a short-lived presidential run. He has largely stayed out of politics and the election since, but declared Monday, “I will be casting my ballot for Joe Biden,” O’Rourke said of Super Tuesday, eliciting chants of “Let’s go Joe!”

“We need somebody who can beat Donald Trump. The man in White House today poses an existential threat to this country, to our democracy, to free and fair elections, and we need somebody who can beat him. And in Joe Biden, we have that man,” O’Rourke said.

Biden hugged O’Rourke while taking back the mic, saying: "You’re going to take care of the gun problem with me. You’re going to be the one who leads this effort."

Biden said he was honored to have the endorsement of O’Rourke and introduced him as the man "who electrified this state and nation ... who demonstrated enormous compassion and courage in the wake of the shooting in El Paso. A man with unlimited future."

— Savannah Behrmann

Elizabeth Warren rallies in Los Angeles, says she's candidate of 'real change'

Elizabeth Warren vowed to fight on before a raucous crowd Monday night in a heavily Latino section of Los Angeles ahead of the primary election in California.

With the field having narrowed, the Massachusetts senator sought to position herself as the alternative to both frontrunners, Sen. Bernie Sanders and former Vice President Joe Biden.

Super Tuesday: California has huge role in Dem primary, but new vote centers a concern

"We find ourselves barreling toward another primary along the same lanes as 2016: one for an insider, one for an outsider," she told an overflow outdoor crowd at East Los Angeles College. "Democratic voters should have more choice than that."

She gave nods to both Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota and former South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg, saying they ran "spirited races" before bowing out, though she didn't mention their endorsements of Biden. And she congratulated Biden on his South Carolina win, but immediately set about drawing a contrast with him.

Warren said Biden is a Washington insider who seeks to return the nation to "the world before Donald Trump." She sought to portray herself, as she has during the campaign, as the candidate of “real change.”

"Nominating a man who says we do not need any fundamental change in this country will not meet this moment," she said of Biden.

She said she is the candidate who will transform the government while leading grassroots efforts on the outside. She vowed to fight for workers, evoking the memories of Latino labor movements like the "Justice for Janitors" campaign of 1990. She said this a "dark moment" in the nation's history with President Donald Trump waging a war with Latinos.

"Donald Trump ran a campaign demonizing Mexicans and immigrants — and he won," she said.

She vowed to beat him as the nominee while fighting to cancel student loan debt, reduce gun violence, create more safe and affordable housing and tackling climate change.

—Chris Woodyard

Bloomberg Fox News Town Hall interrupted by multiple protesters

Former New York City Mayor and billionaire Michael Bloomberg’s town hall on Fox News was interrupted by multiple groups of protesters while he was answering a question about his views on gun control.

One man angrily asked Bloomberg if “are those liberties available in New York?” after Bloomberg had answered why he supports stricter gun control measures.

Gun control has been a signature issue for Bloomberg. He helped start Mayors Against Illegal Guns, which became Everytown for Gun Safety in 2013.

That same man then told the other groups of protesters: “No, you guys, we don’t protest” as others seemed to take his interruption as an opportunity to air their grievances with the former mayor.

Some protesters could be heard shouting “release the NDAs,” a topic Bloomberg has had much scrutiny over. Bloomberg had agreed to release three women from confidentiality agreements his company signed related to comments they accused him of making.

Others yelled: “Stop and frisk is wrong!” regarding the policing tactic that disproportionately affected minorities that Bloomberg implemented while he was mayor.

The Fox anchors promptly went to a commercial break as the protesters holding signs were escorted out.

— Savannah Behrmann

Officials give rare public warning on foreign interference

In a joint statement on the eve of Super Tuesday, U.S. officials, including Attorney General William Barr, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Secretary of Defense Mark Esper, warned the public about foreign activities to disrupt the 2020 presidential elections.

The officials said foreign actors are still spreading false information and propaganda on social media to sow chaos and confusion in the electoral process.

“Tomorrow, 2 million voters in more than a dozen states and territories will cast their votes in presidential primaries. ‘Super Tuesday’ will see more Americans head to the polls than any other day of the primary season … We encourage all voters going to the polls to check your voter registration and know ahead of time when to vote, where to vote, what’s on your ballot and whether your state requires an identification,” the officials said.

The rare statement, issued by eight U.S. officials who lead law enforcement, national security and cybersecurity agencies, comes days after the Washington Post reported that Russia is trying to interfere in the elections to help Bernie Sanders win the Democratic primary.

Sanders acknowledged he was briefed about a month ago about Russia’s efforts. U.S. officials have also briefed lawmakers that the Kremlin may be trying to help President Donald Trump win the presidential election.

Russia interference: Intelligence official warned lawmakers that Russia was interfering in 2020 to help Trump

An investigation by former Special Counsel Robert Mueller revealed a “sweeping and systemic” campaign by Russia to help Trump win the White House in 2016. Mueller's two-year probe revealed a large-scale Russian operation that used two methods to influence the U.S. election: a hacking operation targeting the campaign of Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton and a disinformation and social media effort to sow chaos in the political discourse.

The investigation did not find that Trump or his campaign conspired with Russia, but the special counsel’s detailed report portrayed the campaign as an eager beneficiary of Russia’s efforts.

— Kristine Phillips

South Carolina primary turnout shatters 2016 level

Democrats who were concerned that relatively low voter turnout in the Iowa caucuses meant Democratic voters were not keyed up for the 2020 general election can take heart in the South Carolina primary.

Voter participation in that state's Democratic primary on Saturday was slightly higher than 2008, when then-Sen. Barack Obama's soaring rhetoric and surprise win in Iowa had voters fired up and ready to go.

According to the South Carolina secretary of state's office, 539,046 ballots were cast in the Democratic primary this year. In 2008, that number was 532,151. Those totals indicate much higher enthusiasm than 2016, when 373,063 people voted in the Democratic primary (73% of them for Hillary Clinton).

Latest poll results: California, here they come: Sanders dominates new USA TODAY/Suffolk poll of Super Tuesday's prize

And the lack of minority candidates did not appear to dampen the enthusiasm of the state's large African-American voting bloc. In 2008, black voters accounted for 55% of the votes cast in South Carolina's Democratic primary, according to exit polls. In 2020, the number was 56%.

That was down from 2016, when exit polls found that black voters cast 61% of the Democratic primary ballots. But because the overall turnout was about 44% higher this year, roughly 60,000 more black voters participated than in 2016.

If voter turnout in the 14 Super Tuesday states is comparable to that in South Carolina, Democrats have reason to be optimistic that those enthusiastic voters will also show up at the polls in November.

— William Cummings

Who will inherit Pete Buttigieg's supporters?

Former South Bend, Indiana, mayor Pete Buttigieg called it quits just two days before one of the largest contests of the primary cycle – leaving his supporters looking for a new candidate.

Buttigieg’s exit could bring a significant shift to the race, as he was one of several moderate candidates running to win many of the same voters. Will his supporters flock to fellow center-left Democrats, such as Sen. Amy Klobuchar, former Vice President Joe Biden or Michael Bloomberg?

Or could the more progressive candidates, Sens. Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, benefit from the now unattached voters?

It’s unclear how Buttigieg’s announcement will affect Sanders, who is still the national front-runner.

With Buttigieg out, moderate voters could coalesce around one candidate rather than spreading across three or four candidates. Sanders, who is supported by a largely more progressive sect of the Democratic Party, could see a slimmer margin between him and more moderate candidates in upcoming primaries.

Biden and Buttigieg spoke sometime after the former mayor announced he was suspending his campaign, according to the Biden campaign.

For a closer look, see our analysis: With Pete Buttigieg out, which candidate is primed to inherit his supporters?

— Rebecca Morin