The central objective of the summit is to build political support for the Democratic Party even as it moves to nominate its most right-wing candidate in history, Hillary Clinton, beholden to Wall Street and the military-intelligence apparatus.
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Tuesday’s vote wraps up a spectacular, deeply controversial and historic primary season that saw conservatives flock to a celebrity billionaire and political novice in Trump, as liberals energized little-known Sanders to mount a surprisingly strong challenge against one of the best known political figures in the nation. “And we must take that energy into the Democratic National Convention on July 25 in Philadelphia, where we will have more than 1,900 delegates”. Instead, he set out terms for an eventual concession and for unifying his most fervent supporters behind the presumptive nominee.
Hillary Clinton says Donald Trump accused President Barack Obama of being “on the side of the terrorists” – an accusation she called “shameful”. She also said the Democratic senators Sanders spoke to Tuesday acknowledge that he commands enthusiastic support from a large number of voters, “many of whom had not traditionally participated”. Banking regulations and tax policies, Sanders says, make it more hard to working families to get ahead.
It isn’t clear to what extent the Clinton campaign is willing to accommodate Sanders’ wish-list.
In virtually identical statements released after meeting for more than 90 minutes, the Clinton and Sanders campaigns said the two rivals discussed their primary campaign, “unifying the party and. the unsafe threat that Donald Trump poses to our nation”.
Sanders revealed plans for the meeting Sunday on CBS’ Face the Nation, and a Clinton aide confirmed to CNN that it is planned for Tuesday night.
The Republican pledged to protect all Americans “wherever they come from, wherever they were born”, but he repeatedly referred to Muslims in a negative context.
While Clinton has called for uniting the party quickly in order to focus on the looming Trump battle, Sanders has refused to concede the race.
An official with the Clinton campaign expressed their interest in meeting with Sanders and “looks forward to the opportunity to discuss how they can advance their shared commitment to a progressive agenda, and work together to stop Donald Trump in the general election”.
Looking ahead to the convention, Sanders said the party must support a $15-an-hour federal minimum wage, pay equity for women, a ban on the sale and distribution of assault weapons and a defeat of the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, the head of the DNC, for much of the campaign over rules and schedules that he says have put him at a disadvantage.
“That is exactly what President Obama and Hillary Clinton are proposing”, Priebus said noting that their proposals “infringe on Americans’ constitutional rights to due process and to own a gun”.
In an interview Tuesday with Telemundo before their meeting, Clinton said she and Sanders have common goals on numerous issues, including dealing with income inequality and making college more affordable.
“Are we going to take our campaign for transforming the Democratic Party into the convention?”
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Michael Briggs, Sanders’ spokesman, said Sanders will speak via live video “directly to grassroots supporters from Burlington (Vt.) on Thursday night about how the revolution continues”. Sanders announced in an email to supporters Tuesday that he will detail his plans on Thursday at 8:30 p.m.
