Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) told progressive supporters Monday that they were no longer “fringe players” in their party, delivering a pumped-up version of his stump speech ahead of the Democratic National Convention.
“As all of you will recall, when we began this campaign over a year ago, we were considered to be fringe players by the establishment and the corporate media,” Sanders said while addressing supporters in Philadelphia. “Well, a year has come and gone. We’re not fringe players anymore.”
“We have shown the entire world that our ideas are not some crazy, wild, utopian fantasies,” he continued. “They are ideas supported by working people from one end of this country to the other.”
Sanders also reaffirmed that he thought Donald Trump needed to be beaten in the general election.
“And we have got to elect Hillary Clinton and Tim Kaine,” Sanders said.
The crowd launched into a bunch of “boos.” Sanders didn’t comment on their reaction to his statement and continued talking about how Trump shouldn’t be elected.
He also predicted that Democratic National Committee Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz’s resignation would “open the doors of the party” to more people.
The crowd seemed to match the enthusiasm in Sanders’ voice by chanting back at him, “Bernie!” as his speech went on. Sanders was expected to give a speech at the convention later Monday.
This post has been updated.
