Bernie Sanders still won't endorse Hillary Clinton

Bernie Sanders has not yet endorsed Hillary Clinton.
(Image credit: Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

Speaking with NBC News' Andrea Mitchell on Tuesday, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) held firm on his reluctance to outright endorse Hillary Clinton for president. Mitchell mentioned Sanders' statements last week that he would vote for Clinton in November, and asked the senator whether there's a distinction between the vote and an endorsement or whether they're "one and the same."

"No, they're not one and the same," Sanders replied. "What I am trying to do now, in a variety of ways, is to see that we have a Democratic platform that represents working families, that is prepared to take on the fossil fuel industry and Wall Street."

When Mitchell noted that Clinton's lead over presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump is in the single digits, and that she could use a wave of support — presumably brought on by Sanders' endorsement — to boost her in the polls, Sanders demurred. "It's not a question of my endorsement. It's a question of the American people understanding that Secretary Clinton is prepared to stand with them as they work longer hours for low wages, as they cannot afford health care, as their kids can't afford to go to college," he said. "Make it clear that she is on their side. … I have no doubt that if Secretary Clinton makes those positions clear, she will defeat Trump, and defeat him by a very wide margin."

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

Watch the full segment below. Kimberly Alters

To continue reading this article...
Continue reading this article and get limited website access each month.
Get unlimited website access, exclusive newsletters plus much more.
Cancel or pause at any time.
Already a subscriber to The Week?
Not sure which email you used for your subscription? Contact us
Kimberly Alters

Kimberly Alters is the news editor at TheWeek.com. She is a graduate of the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University.