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WASHINGTON (AP) — The Latest on presidential campaign developments (all times local):
11:45 a.m.
Joe Biden says some of the behavior of Bernie Sanders’ supporters is “Trump-like stuff” and is calling on the Vermont senator to condemn them.
Speaking on CBS’ “Face the Nation,” Biden referenced the protesters identifying as Sanders supporters who occupied his Iowa campaign office and “misogynist” attacks on leaders of the Culinary Union in Nevada by individuals also identified as Sanders backers. The former vice president said there should be “absolute condemnation of the conduct of these folks” and added the behavior is “Trump-like stuff … not stuff that we’ve done in Democratic primaries before.”
Sanders has suggested some of the vitriol that appears to be coming from his supporters may be fueled by Russian intrusion in the campaign. He recently acknowledged receiving a briefing from U.S. officials that Russians are working to help his candidacy.
But Biden expressed skepticism of Sanders’ assertion that the Russians may be behind the worst behavior, saying, “I guess anything’s possible, but they’re identified as Bernie supporters.”
He also called on the intelligence community to brief the rest of the Democratic field on what they’ve told Sanders about Russian involvement in the campaign.
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11:20 a.m.
Pete Buttigieg is making a pitch to some black voters in South Carolina, saying he knows he's asking essentially for those who may not know him to trust him with their lives if he becomes president.
Buttigieg said during services on Sunday morning at First Baptist Church in Charleston that he found it "humbling" to be before a black congregation during Black History Month asking for support in Saturday's presidential primary.
Buttigieg has acknowledged struggles gaining traction among the black voters who make up the majority of the Democratic primary electorate in South Carolina.
Buttigieg said Sunday that his campaign was comprised of more than 40% black staffers and that his time as mayor of South Bend, Indiana, has given him insights as to how to try to identify with the black community.
He told the congregation that “nobody this side of Paradise can fix anything alone."
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10:40 a.m.
President Donald Trump is congratulating Bernie Sanders for his Nevada caucus win.
Speaking to reporters before boarding Air Force One en route to India, the president declared it a "great win" for the Vermont senator but added "we'll see what happens" with the rest of the nomination fight.
Trump added of Sanders, "I don't care who I run against, I just hope that they treat him fairly." He went on to say, without proof, that "there's a lot of bad things going on" and that he hopes it won't be a "rigged deal" in the primary.
Some of Sanders' supporters in 2016 charged that the primary was rigged against him, and a portion stayed home on Election Day, which many political observers believe helped contribute to Trump's win over Hillary Clinton that year. Sanders has said he expects fair treatment from party leadership this cycle.
Trump also weighed in on recent news that Sanders has been briefed by U.S. officials that Russians are working to help his candidacy. The president said that "nobody told me about it" and speculated, without evidence, that the news was a "leak" from Democrats on Capitol Hill because “they don't want Bernie Sanders to represent them.”
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10:25 a.m.
South Carolina Rep. Jim Clyburn is cautioning Democrats not to declare a nomination winner before South Carolina votes.
Bernie Sanders comes out of a strong win in Nevada Saturday after winning the two prior primaries with momentum heading into the next contest, in South Carolina next Saturday. But while the Vermont senator seems increasingly to be the odds-on favorite for the nomination, Clyburn insisted that South Carolina still has a role to play.
He tells NBC's “Meet the Press": “If you can win South Carolina decisively, it can set the stage for Super Tuesday."
Clyburn, the dean of the South Carolina delegation and House Minority Whip, said he plans to make an endorsement in the race Wednesday. His endorsement of Barack Obama in 2008 helped the then-senator clinch the Democratic nomination, and he's currently believed to favor Joe Biden in the race.
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