Sanders Says He Hopes To Work With Trump To Help Working Class
WASHINGTON (CBSNewYork) -- U.S. Senator and former Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders said Wednesday that he is prepared to work with Donald Trump to help the working class.
But Sanders said he will ``vigorously oppose'' other policies promised by the president-elect.
The independent Vermont senator has released a statement noting Trump ``tapped into the anger of a declining middle class that is sick and tired of establishment economics, establishment politics and the establishment media.''
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He said says that if Trump ``is serious about pursuing policies that improve the lives of working families in this country, I and other progressives are prepared to work with him.''
But Sanders added that if Trump ``pursues racist, sexist, xenophobic and anti-environment policies, we will vigorously oppose him.''
Sanders ran against Hillary Clinton for the Democratic presidential nomination, and supported her candidacy after she won that race.
During the campaign, Trump often invoked Sanders' name sympathetically, claiming that the election had been "rigged" against him and expressing worry that the general election could also be "rigged" against Trump himself.
"Bernie. Poor Bernie…. You know what? He made a mistake. He shouldn't have made a deal. Sometimes.... He lost. He lost. (But) first of all, it was rigged," Trump said at a rally in back in August. "And I'm afraid the election's going to be rigged, I have to be honest."
Trump beat Clinton in a close race Tuesday.
(TM and © Copyright 2016 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2016 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)