Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton said she sees "a great role" for Sen. Bernie Sanders and his supporters in a "unified party," even as she said she welcomed Republicans who are not supporting Donald Trump.
Days after Trump's remaining GOP competitors exited the race, the former secretary of state continues to battle for her party's nomination against Sanders, who has taken several positions to her left on economic issues.
"Obviously I'm reaching out to Democrats, Republicans, independents, all voters who want a candidate who is running a campaign based on issues," Clinton said on CBS' "Face the Nation" on Sunday.
Clinton said that she and Sanders have similar views on issues including raising the minimum wage and reining "in bad actors on Wall Street and in corporate America." She said she wants to unify Democrats around those issues.
"I see a great role and opportunity for him and his supporters to be part of that unified party to move into not just November to win the election against Donald Trump, but to then govern based on the progressive goals that he and I share," she said.
Sanders' campaign manager Jeff Weaver, in an interview last week, warned Clinton against moving back to the middle — a common tactic by nominees from both parties as they pivot from the primary season to the general election. Many Sanders supporters would "just sit home, frankly" in November if Clinton shifts toward the center on important issues, Weaver said.
While working to avoid alienating the party's left wing, Clinton said she'd communicated with members of the GOP who weren't getting behind Trump, who she said "take their vote seriously and who really see this as a crossroads kind of election."
Bloomberg news
