Bernie Sanders: ‘It Doesn’t Appear That I’m Going to Be the Nominee’

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With Hillary Clinton already firmly pivoted toward the general election, Sen. Bernie Sanders acknowledged Wednesday he does not believe he will be the Democratic Party’s presidential nominee.

In a lengthy interview with C-SPAN’s Steve Scully, the 74-year-old Vermont lawmaker said he was unsure whether he would speak at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia, but would be open to the idea.

“It doesn’t appear that I’m going to be the nominee, so I’m not going to determine the scope of the convention,” Sanders said. “I’ve given a few speeches in my life. It would be nice to speak at the Democratic National Convention. If for whatever reason they don’t want me to speak, then whatever. But I do think I’ll speak at the convention.”

Clinton, his primary opponent, reached the so-called “magic number” of delegates needed to clinch the party’s nomination earlier this month. The former Secretary of State has begun considering picks for her running mate, with Sen. Elizabeth Warren on the shortlist. Sanders said he was not being vetted for VP, but urged the Clinton campaign to pick a fellow progressive.

“It would be a terrible mistake for her to pick a candidate who is backed by Wall Street,” he said, after calling Clinton “clearly an establishment Democrat.”

When asked about the possibility that his loyal supporters would flock to presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump rather than Clinton, Sanders said: “I suspect he ain’t gonna get too many of those people.”