US: Sanders vows to continue fight after meeting Obama

By Michael Hernandez

WASHINGTON (AA) – Bernie Sanders vowed to take his bid for the Democratic presidential nomination to the party's convention after a private Oval Office meeting Thursday with President Barack Obama.

“We will continue doing everything we can to oppose the drift which currently exists to an oligarchic form of society where a handful of billionaires exercise enormous power over our political, economic and media life,” Sanders said at the White House.

The meeting comes two days after Sanders lost major primary voting battles in California and New Jersey to presumptive Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton – signaling that his campaign would not get the necessary support to secure the nomination.

During his remarks, the Vermont senator said he looks forward to meeting with Clinton and turned his attention to presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump.

“Donald Trump would clearly, to my mind, and I think the majority of Americans, be a disaster as President of the United States,” he said. “I am going to do everything in my power to make sure that Donald Trump does not become president.”

Sanders will next face off against Clinton on Tuesday in Washington, DC’s Democratic primary.

The federal district’s race will be the final Democratic contest before the July 25-28 Democratic convention in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

The pro forma contest is not the ultimate aim for Sanders who is instead seeking to take his platform to the Democratic convention.

Throughout his campaign, Sanders railed against income inequality, student debt and campaign donation regulations that empower wealthy donors – gaining a fervent following in the process.

“These are the issues that we will take to the Democratic national convention in Philadelphia at the end of July,” he said.