WASHINGTON (AP) – It almost went unnoticed, but in a nine-word tangent, Vice President Joe Biden has endorsed Hillary Clinton for president.

Biden had been expected to hold off on his formal endorsement for a day or two after President Barack Obama endorsed Clinton on Thursday. Biden met with Bernie Sanders on Thursday and had been arranging to speak by phone to Clinton.

But in a speech to the American Constitution Society on Thursday evening, Biden said that the next president would likely have to deal with a Supreme Court vacancy for another court term. He added as an aside: “God willing, in my view, it’ll be Secretary Clinton.”

Biden’s office says Friday that the off-the-cuff remark is his endorsement for Clinton. Biden is expected to hit the trail aggressively for Clinton and for Senate Democratic candidates in the coming months.