As Joe Biden entered the 2020 race on Thursday, Barack Obama had kind words but no formal endorsement of his candidacy. “President Obama has long said that selecting Joe Biden as his running mate in 2008 was one of the best decisions he ever made,” spokeswoman Katie Hill said in a statement to The Daily Beast. “He relied on the vice President’s knowledge, insight, and judgment throughout both campaigns and the entire presidency. The two forged a special bond over the last 10 years and remain close today.” A source familiar with Obama’s thinking said that he is happy to let the primary process play out without endorsing any one candidate at this stage. “President Obama is excited by the extraordinary and diverse talent exhibited in the growing lineup of Democratic primary candidates,” this source said. “He believes that a robust primary in 2007 and 2008 not only made him a better general election candidate, but a better president, too. And because of that, it’s unlikely that he will throw his support behind a specific candidate this early in the primary process—preferring instead to let the candidates make their cases directly to the voters.”

—Gideon Resnick