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Clinton Spokesman: Sanders Supporters 'Are Still Very Riled Up'

June 1, 2016

Hillary Clinton campaign press secretary Brian Fallon said supporters of Sen. Bernie Sanders (I., Vt.) were "still very riled up" as Sanders continues his campaign into the California primary.

On Meet The Press Daily with Chuck Todd, Fallon said the campaign was still being contested fiercely.

"What does it say, though, that essentially, news organizations, your campaign, your candidate, everybody's essentially declared the Democratic nomination done. Okay, it's not technically over, the numbers aren't there, but the Democratic voters have been told, ‘Hey, guys, this race is done, it doesn't matter if Sanders wins’ and it's almost as if voters are defying it in California," host Chuck Todd said. "Does that concern you, that in the face of all the evidence that says, well, Clinton is going to win, that there isn't a rally around Clinton effect? There has been a rally around Trump effect in primaries."

"Well, look, I think Senator Sanders is still contesting this primary very fiercely and so his supporters are still very riled up and you've seen in the public polling on the potential head-to-head match-up between her and Trump, that we still have consolidation left to occur, which shows you that the Bernie Sanders supporters are still very much looking forward to the opportunity to cast a ballot for him in a state like California," Fallon said. I think that California is very meaningful and we're certainly not treating it as if this is a done deal."

Todd then asked Fallon about the role of superdelegates and the criticism from Sanders that Clinton needs them to get the nomination.

"Senator Sanders said to me on Sunday, that he believes, when I said ‘What's your path,’ and he says, number one, they need to have the lead in pledged delegates. You think he, himself, has given a fair metric of what is contested and not?" Todd asked.

"Well, otherwise, I think he is arguing for the superdelegates to swing the outcome in favor of somebody that finished second in pledged delegates. That would be clearly thwarting the will of the electorate," Fallon said.