Bernie Sanders came out of a Thursday meeting with Barack Obama vowing to work with Hillary Clinton for the common cause of defeating Donald Trump in November.
Sanders had requested the meeting, the White House said. The senator and the president plan to “continue their conversation about the significant issues at stake in this election that matter most to America’s working families.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pX3lLz-nUO4
The meeting lasted more than an hour, and Sanders emerged warning that a Trump presidency would be a “disaster” and that he would “work as hard as I can to make sure that Donald Trump does not become president of the United States.”
Sanders gave thanks to both Joe Biden and President Obama for their impartial treatment of the Democratic candidates.
“They said in the beginning is that they would not put their thumb on the scales and they kept their word and I appreciate that very, very much.”
Sanders reiterated that he would follow through with his campaign to compete in the D.C. primary next Tuesday and continue on to the July Democratic National Convention, according to NPR.
The Vermont senator added that he was looking forward to meeting with Clinton “to see how we can work together to defeat Donald Trump and to create a government which represents all of us and not just the one percent.”
“We will continue doing everything we can to oppose the drift that currently exists toward and oligarchic form society where a handful of billionaires exercise enormous power over our political, economic and media life.”
According to CNN, White House officials had hoped that Obama would “ prod the Vermont senator toward eventually acting as a unifying figure for the Democratic Party.”
President @BarackObama ‘Slow Jams’ the News On @JimmyFallon : https://t.co/Emc44tdxoM
— TWC News Central NC (@TWCNewsRDU) June 11, 2016
On Wednesday, during a taping of The Tonight Show , Obama told Jimmy Fallon that he hopes the Democrats will be able to “pull things together.”
“What happens during primaries. You get a little ouchy. Everybody does.”
President Obama’s full endorsement of Hillary and thank you to Bernie.
What are your thoughts? https://t.co/VBFgqwSiiZ
— Shaun King (@ShaunKing) June 9, 2016
Obama is expected to begin campaigning for Hillary in the upcoming weeks.
Meanwhile, Sanders’ colleagues in the Senate are saying it’s time for him to step out of the race. But both Vice President Joe Biden and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi are urging people to “give him time.”
. @PressSec : @BernieSanders has “more than earned the right” to determine future of campaign https://t.co/DUm6c7V00N https://t.co/rp5hVBSESD — CBS News (@CBSNews) June 9, 2016
On Thursday, Pelosi told reporters that Sanders deserves the courtesy of making his own choices.
“He knows what’s on the line. And he should be treated no differently than other candidates. He should be allowed the opportunity and the respect on how he brings us to a place that helps us advance the causes he’s been fighting for.”
“Bernie is the political embodiment of the American dream – rags to riches” @BabesforBernie founder Kathleen Graves https://t.co/q7prdjQZl1
— Julia Macfarlane (@juliamacfarlane) June 9, 2016
The media is having a field day with Bernie’s plodding campaign.
“It’s time for Democrats to rally round Clinton,” wrote Scott Lehigh of the Boston Globe .
“Rather than sulk in his tent, Sanders needs to fold selfsame portable canvas shelter and rally to his rival’s — and his adopted party’s — cause. And so, too, do his supporters. If you honestly can’t see any difference between Trump and Clinton , you either haven’t been paying attention or you’re so far out on the left wing that you’ve lost meaningful perspective on the rest of the political spectrum. And if you lean left but simply can’t bring yourself to vote for Clinton for character reasons? Well, then you’re just too pure for the politics of the real world.”
Sanders is meeting Thursday afternoon with Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid, who on the first of June, according to BigStory , had advised Sanders to “give up.”
But according to CNN, Reid is open to what Sanders has to say and thinks he may be able to make significant contributions to the party.
Sanders is preparing for a rally in Washington on Thursday evening.
The Washington, D.C., Democratic primary is scheduled for Tuesday, June 14.
[Photo by Pablo Martinez Monsivais/AP Images]
