Watch Bernie Sanders Recap DNC, Urge Hillary Support on ‘Real Time’
Bernie Sanders appeared on Real Time With Bill Maher Friday to share his thoughts on the Democratic National Convention, vilify “dangerous” Donald Trump and urge his supporters to back Hillary Clinton.
“I think it was a good convention. I think it brought together people with different points of view within the Democratic Party,” Sanders said of the Philadelphia event. “But I think what comes out of that convention is the understanding that Donald Trump is the most dangerous presidential candidate in the modern history of this country and he must be defeated.”
“And I say that not just because of his absurd views on so many issues. He believes that climate change is a hoax. He wants to give hundreds of billions of dollars in tax breaks to the top 1 percent,” Sanders added. “But above and beyond all of that, this guy is running his entire campaign based on bigotry. Based on trying to divide us up. Based on trying to insult Mexicans, Latinos, Muslims, women and African-Americans. Remember, that this guy was one of the leaders of the so-called Birther Movement.”
Sanders then urged his supporters to back Clinton, promising that he’ll fight for the progressive campaign when she takes the Oval Office.
“It’s no secret that Hillary Clinton and I have disagreements on a number of issues, and what I intend to do the day after Hillary Clinton is elected president of the United States is to do everything I can to make sure that she goes forward as progressively that she can, maintaining the very strong Democratic progressive platform that we passed together,” Sanders said.
Maher called Sanders a “great patriot” and a warrior – “The hardest thing for a warrior to do is fall on his sword,” the host said – for supporting Clinton and doing what’s best for the Democratic Party.
“We must continue the political revolution. We must continue to bring millions of people into the political process to stand up and take on the billionaire class. To fight for economic and social and racial and environmental justice,” Sanders said. “And that fight must continue the day after the election because fundamental changes, transformational changes, take time to happen. They don’t happen overnight, so that movement has to continue.”
As for Sanders’ next move, after his senate term ends in 2018, he said he plans to run for reelection in Vermont. “Whatever my political future may or may not be, I will be fighting as hard as I can to stand up for a declining middle class, to take on the grotesque levels of income and wealth inequality that we’re seeing right now, to demand that the United States join the rest of the industrialized world and guarantee health care to all people as a right, to make public colleges and universities in this country tuition-free,” Sanders said. “Those are issues that we have to continue to fight for.”