Bernie's warning to Trump: Sanders says he will 'vigorously' oppose any 'racist, sexist or xenophobic' policies as Twitter campaigners urge him to run in 2020

  • The independent Vermont senator released a statement on Wednesday
  • He noted that Trump tapped into the anger of a declining middle class 
  • Sanders said he will work with Trump on policies that improve lives of working class 
  • But said if Trump 'pursues racist, sexist, xenophobic and anti-environment policies, we will vigorously oppose him'

By Khaleda Rahman For Dailymail.com

Published: 20:17 EST, 9 November 2016 | Updated: 20:37 EST, 9 November 2016

Bernie Sanders says he's prepared to work with Donald Trump to help the working class, but will 'vigorously' oppose any racist, sexist or xenophobic policies promised by the president-elect.

In a statement released on Wednesday, the independent Vermont senator noted that Trump 'tapped into the anger of a declining middle class that is sick and tired of establishment economics, establishment politics and the establishment media.'

He said 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.'

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Bernie Sanders (pictured) says he's prepared to work with Donald Trump, but will 'vigorously' oppose any racist, sexist or xenophobic policies promised by the president-elect

He said: 'People are tired of working longer hours for lower wages, of seeing decent paying jobs go to China and other low-wage countries, of billionaires not paying any federal income taxes and of not being able to afford a college education for their kids - all while the very rich become much richer.

'To the degree that Mr. 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. 

'To the degree that he pursues racist, sexist, xenophobic and anti-environment policies, we will vigorously oppose him.'

On Election Day, Sanders tweeted: 'I hope today we defeat Donald Trump and we defeat him badly'

In the wake of Hillary Clinton's shocking defeat, calls grew on Twitter for Sanders to run for president again in 2020

Sanders ran against Hillary Clinton for the Democratic presidential nomination, and supported her candidacy after she won that race.

And in the wake of Clinton's shocking defeat, calls grew on Twitter for Sanders to run for president again in 2020.

However, Sanders would be 78 by then making the chances of him running unlikely, 

 '#Bernie2020 Next time, don't lock out the other anti-establishment candidate that wasn't a bigot,' wrote Omar Suleiman on Twitter.

Another Twitter user added: 'Cryogenically freeze me for 4 years and wake me up when bernie sanders is elected president in 2020.' 

'Bernie 2020,' declared CB Mullen. 'Because hindsight is 2020.' 

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