US Democratic presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders has once again called on his supporters to back Hillary Clinton, as the party’s convention is underway in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Speaking at a rally on Monday, Sanders called Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump a “demagogue,” saying he must be defeated.
“We have got to defeat Donald Trump. We have got to elect Hillary Clinton and Tim Kaine,” the Vermont senator said, adding “Trump is a bully and a demagogue.”
His remarks drew boos, loud jeers and shouts of “We want Bernie” by his supporters, one of whom said Clinton “stole the election.”
The boos indicated the towering rage his convention delegates are feeling at both Clinton's victory and embarrassing emails revealed Friday, showing the party leadership had been working to sabotage Sanders' campaign.
Sanders, however, tried to calm his supporters by saying, “Brothers and sisters -- brothers and sisters, this is the real world that we live in,” asserting that “Trump has made bigotry and hatred the cornerstone of his campaign.”
He reminded his supporters of controversial remarks by Trump against Muslims, Latinos and African Americans.
“Throughout this campaign he has insulted Mexicans and Latinos. He has insulted Muslims and insulted women and African Americans. It is not just my opinion. That is what many conservative Republicans believe. Trump is a danger for the future of our country and must be defeated. And I intend to do everything to see that he is defeated.”
Sanders formally endorsed Clinton earlier this month, but he has not yet suspended his campaign.
However, many of his supporters have said they would not vote for Clinton.
On Sunday, thousands of his supporters kicked off a week of planned demonstrations to protest an electoral process they believe is “rigged.”
The protesters were chanting, “Hell no, DNC (Democratic National Committee), we won’t vote for Hillary,” and, “This is what democracy looks like.”
The more than 19,000 DNC emails leaked by the WikiLeaks website Friday have turned the spotlight back on Sanders' unsuccessful bid to win the Democratic nomination.
The controversy led to the DNC chairwoman, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, announcing that she would resign when the convention was over.
During the convention, she will not be playing the traditional role of a chairwoman, either.
"I have decided that, in the interest of making sure that we can start the Democratic convention on a high note, that I am not going to gavel in the convention," she said ahead of the convention.
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