Appearing Thursday on MSNBC, former Vice President Joe Biden’s 2020 deputy campaign manager Kate Bedingfield claimed Biden asked former President Barack Obama not to endorse him in the Democratic primary.

Earlier Thursday, Obama offered praise after Biden launched his campaign — but noticeably stopped short of endorsing him as a candidate. “President Obama has long said that selecting Joe Biden as his running mate in 2008 was one of the best decisions he ever made,” Obama said in a statement. “He relied on the Vice president’s knowledge, insight, and judgment throughout both campaign and the entire presidency. The two forged a special bond over the last 10 years and remain close today.”

Biden aide tells @HallieJackson that the former vice president asked former President Obama to not endorse him at this time, because Biden "wanted to make the case" to the voters — "he is running in this race because he believes we need to restore the soul of this nation.” pic.twitter.com/hx2VlJFu5c — MSNBC (@MSNBC) April 25, 2019

A partial transcript is as follows: