As Bernie Sanders meets Thursday with top Democrats — including President Obama and Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid — a leading Democrat is signaling it’s time for Sanders to make peace with Hillary Clinton.
Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown told CNN’s Alisyn Camerota on “New Day” he expects Sanders to throw his support behind Clinton and hit the campaign trail with her — while also allowing for the possibility that may not happen until after the party’s convention next month.
“It’s his timetable. I don’t know if it’s coming out of this meeting today or the next month or coming out of the convention, but either way, I expect Bernie to be campaigning in Cleveland or Akron and expect him to go around the country,” Brown said.
Brown dismissed concerns about party unification after the contentious primary.
“I know (Bernie) supports most of the things that Hillary does, and I know that he is very concerned about a Donald Trump presidency. So I have no doubt in my mind that Bernie will bring 80, 90% of his supporters with him, ultimately, just like Hillary did for Sen. Obama and that means it’s good news in the fall,” the Ohio senator said.
“Every four years or every eight years the story in June is always that, can the parties come together?” he added. “We will move forward. We will heal.”
Brown said the Republicans should be more concerned about the unity of their party than Democrats.
“I think that if you’re looking for something ahistorical, something unprecedented, at least in our lifetimes, you look at the Republican side where the Republicans are all bailing out now,” he said. “There’s none of that on the Democratic side.”
Brown is a popular member of the more liberal wing of the Democratic Party, and has been touted as a potential vice presidential pick for Clinton — particularly since he hails from the swing state of Ohio. But despite the buzz, Brown sought to dismiss the speculation.
“I don’t have interest in being vice president,” he said.