“I am more than ready to assume the office of president of the United States,” Sanders said after thanking supporters for their best wishes as he recuperated. “I am more ready than ever to help create a government based on the principles of justice.”

“To put it bluntly,” he added, “I am back.”…

Sanders supporters are confident the endorsement by Ocasio-Cortez, an electrifying figure who is part of a youthful coalition of Democrats who rose to power in the 2018 midterms, will help address some of those weaknesses. Sanders also recently won the endorsement of Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), who, like Ocasio-Cortez, is a member of an influential group of liberal congresswomen of color known as “the Squad.”

“It’s uniting different generations of Democrats,” said Jonathan Glasser, 61, a South Orange, N.J., resident who attended the event. “And it’s momentum at a time when some people think his campaign is flagging because of his health issues. Him doing so great in the last debate was a really big thing.”