Obama injected himself squarely in the presidential race for the first time by urging Democrats across the party’s ideological spectrum to rally behind Biden and form a unified front to defeat President Donald Trump and win back the White House.

Obama, in a lengthy videotaped on Monday and posted on Tuesday, lauds Biden’s character and resilience, touting him as the right kind of candidate to lead the country through a crisis like the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Obama also highlights the stakes of the 2020 election by arguing Trump and Republicans in the Senate are solely interested in power, not making progress for Americans, CNN reported.

“If there’s one thing we’ve learned as a country from moments of great crisis, it’s that the spirit of looking out for one another can’t be restricted to our homes, or our workplaces, or our neighborhoods, or our houses of worship,” Obama said in the over 11-minute endorsement video. “It also has to be reflected in our national government.”

On Monday, Sanders endorsed the former vice president for president, pledging to help him defeat Trump in the general election as the two agreed to launch a series of task forces to work jointly on policy matters.

“We need you in the White House. I will do all that I can to see that that happens, Joe,” Sanders on Monday said to Biden during a Livestream broadcast on Biden’s website and on social media.

The endorsement of Biden by his leading Democratic rival marks a key moment for Democrats as the party seeks to unify and turn its focus toward a November match-up with President Trump.

Sanders’ quick endorsement of Biden in mid-April, just five days after he suspended his campaign, was a stark contrast to the 2016 Democratic race when Sanders continued to battle Hillary Clinton into June and waited until July to endorse her.

This time, the former vice president and the Vermont senator sought to immediately address the distrust some of Sanders’ supporters have for Biden after a primary campaign in which the two repeatedly clashed on issues like foreign policy and health care.

“I think that your endorsement means a great deal,” Biden said. “It means a great deal to me. I think people are going to be surprised that we are apart on some issues but we’re awfully close on a whole bunch of others. I’m going to need you – not just to win the campaign, but to govern.”

The two said they had agreed to form six task forces to work on policy matters. Those working groups will cover the economy, education, criminal justice, immigration, climate change, and health care.

“It’s no great secret out there, Joe, that you and I have our differences, and we’re not going to paper them over. That’s real,” Sanders said. “But I hope that these task forces will come together utilizing the best minds and people in your campaign and in my campaign to work out real solutions to these very, very important problems.”

Biden told Sanders he is “looking forward to working with you, pal” and said he would “try my best not to let you all down.”

It could take more time for the progressive movement that Sanders had built over two presidential bids to follow the Vermont senator and align behind Biden. One of Sanders’ most prominent supporters, New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, told The New York Times that Biden’s campaign had not yet reached out to her and that the “process of coming together should be uncomfortable for everyone involved – that’s how you know it’s working.”

Biden and Sanders went back and forth Monday afternoon from their homes in Delaware and Vermont, asking each other questions about Trump’s response to the coronavirus pandemic, economic issues, the cost of higher education and more on the livestream video.

The two also discussed their areas of agreement on Trump’s handling of the coronavirus crisis – with Biden highlighting how it would hurt young people, who have been Sanders’ core constituency.

The two displayed a warm relationship that dates to Biden’s days as a fellow senator.