Hillary endorsements set the stage for presidential contest

Hillary Clinton is finally experiencing what she missed out on in 2008, when she conceded to then Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama – coming full circle after eight years.

Her 2016 campaign has been dogged by criticism from the Republican camp, an ongoing investigation into her emails and public gaffes by her husband.

But Thursday changed all that as the endorsements for Clinton piled in, first from the president of the United States (POTUS) and then Senator Elizabeth Warren.

After a meeting with Obama – also on Thursday – the ever persistent candidate for the Democratic nomination Senator Bernie Sanders pledged to work "as hard as [he] can to make sure Donald Trump does not become the president of the United States." Even if that means working with Clinton, he said.

Sanders plans to meet Clinton to see how the two can work together.

'It is time to fight again'

Before endorsing Clinton, at an American Constitution Society (ACS) event in Washington, Senator Warren pulled no punches in criticising Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump over his questioning a federal judge's impartiality in the Trump University case.

In a televised speech, Warren said, "Because the judge happens to be Mexican, [Trump] doubles down and says ‘I'm building a wall, it's an inherent conflict of interest' [...] Trump is picking on someone who is ethically bound not to defend himself, exactly what is expected from a thin-skinned bully."

She added, "A loud, nasty, thin-skinned fraud who served no one but himself. […] And that is one of the many reasons why he will not be president of the United States. It is time to fight again."

Vice President Joe Biden, at the ACS event, also came out swinging at Trump, though Biden is known for his easy relationship with Republicans.

"Folks I have not been out responding to in my capacity as VP to anything Mr Trump has said but it's my view if a presumptive candidate attacks a sitting judge, [he] cannot be trusted to respect the judiciary when elected," said Biden.

'I'm with her'

In a video released by Obama and the Clinton campaign, the POTUS said, "I don't think there's ever been anyone this qualified" to take the office of president.

"Tens of millions of Americans made their voices heard. Today I just want to add mine. I'm with her."

Their first joint campaign event will be in Wisconsin on June 15.

After Clinton acknowledged Obama's endorsement on Twitter:

Trump jumped in with a few choice words:

To which Clinton replied:

Her tweet was shared 330,000 times (and counting). It quickly overtook Trump's which was retweeted 27,000 times and went viral within a few hours.

A Clinton-Warren ticket?

Warren, who in the past has accused Clinton of appeasing Wall Street, is being been tipped by many Democrats as a possible vice presidential candidate who will run alongside her.

Although some feel two women on the ticket will weaken chances of defeating Trump, a single-sex ticket is a common occurrence – just less contentious when both presidential and vice presidential nominees are men.

Even though Clinton called Warren a qualified running mate in an interview with Politico, Warren told television host Rachel Maddow a flat "no" when asked if there had been any conversations or vetting for her to join the ticket.

The senator expressed satisfaction with her current portfolio, but when asked by Maddow, Warren minced no words that she was "capable" of stepping into the shoes of the commander in chief, as might be expected of the VP if required.

In an exclusive interview with Maddow on MSNBC, Warren was clear in her support of the Clinton camp – to make sure Trump does not get within "shouting distance of the White House."

"I am ready to get in this fight and work my heart out to make sure Hillary Clinton becomes the next president of the United States," said Warren.

"She's a fighter, she's out there, she's tough. For 25 years, she's been taking the incomings. And what has she done – a lot of people would hang up their spurs, but she hasn't. She gets back up and gets back in the fight."

According to Maddow, the United States has gone around 240 years without nominating a woman for president of the country.