With the race for the presidency on the line, Sen. Bernie Sanders’ latest announcement has astonished all of the political pundits. The Democratic hopeful recently revealed that he was suspending his campaign, with plans to follow Phish on tour.

You can read the brief announcement from Sanders’ camp below:

While this presidential campaign is important for America, I have decided to put this political jargon aside and enjoy a series of concerts performed by the group Phish. Lyrics like ‘surrender to the flow’ and ‘sharing in the Weekapaug groove’ have made me realize that life is too short for politics, and best spent enjoying great music. Once Fishman said that he would put me on the VIP guest list for any summer date that I wanted to attend, the choice was clear. I hope he comes through with the pav tickets.

Sanders had recently praised Phish in a press conference, following a performance by Phish drummer Jon Fishman at a Sanders campaign rally. Considering that both Sanders and Phish can trace their roots back to Vermont, and Bernie’s wife Jane Sanders recently spoke about liking the band, the Sanders-Phish pairing seems all but natural to those who follow the band.

We reached out to Phish guitarist Trey Anastasio for comment, and he replied, “I knew our music had an effect on people, but for Bernie to put his campaign on hold to catch our summer tour is a whole new level of dedication. Wow.”

While Anastasio seemed impressed by the news, Fishman showed some disappointment when learning about Sanders’ decision. “I was secretly hoping that Sanders would name me his running mate. We even scheduled our tour to end a couple of days before the DNC,” said Fishman, referring to the Democratic National Convention scheduled for July 25-28. “I don’t think I could wear the dress in the White House, though,” he added.

A Sanders-Fishman ballot would surely have secured the Phish vote, but perhaps little else…

[Image via Aux.TV/April Fools!]