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Rep. Ilhan Omar Endorses Bernie Sanders For President

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Democratic Reps. Ilhan Omar and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez are endorsing Bernie Sanders for president.

The Sanders campaign confirmed the backing of two members of "The Squad" on Tuesday.

The endorsements are a major boon for the 78-year-old Vermont senator, who has faced questions over his health since suffering a heart attack two weeks ago.

bernie sanders ilhan omar
Rep. Ilhan Omar and Sen. Bernie Sanders at an event in June (credit: CBS)

The 38-year-old Omar and 30-year-old Ocasio-Cortez are progressive stars and frequent targets of President Donald Trump.

Sanders' deputy communications director Sarah Ford says Ocasio-Cortez will appear with the senator at a rally in her home district in New York this weekend.

Sanders hinted at her backing during Tuesday's Democratic debate in response to a question about his age, saying his skeptics should attend his Saturday rally featuring a "surprise guest."

(© Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

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