Sen. Bernie Sanders (I., Vt.) said that "of course" the Democratic National Convention will be "messy" during an interview airing Tuesday on NBC's Today.
Sanders told the Associated Press on Monday that the convention in Philadelphia could get messy as he tries to impose more of his far-left views on the party platform, adding democracy "is not always nice and quiet and gentle."
The implication was that the unrest gripping the Democratic Party could come to bear again in July.
"The media often takes words out of context," Sanders said. "The context of that was that democracy is messy, that people will have vigorous debate on the issues."
"Will the convention be messy?" NBC reporter Kristen Welker asked.
"Well, of course it will be, but everything—that's what democracy's about," Sanders said.
Sanders has been locked in a bruising battle with frontrunner Hillary Clinton that has gotten nastier in recent weeks. The Sanders camp has cried allegations of a rigged primary by the DNC and its embattled chairwoman, Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D., Fla.).
Nevertheless, Clinton appears poised to clinch the nomination in June, and she leads Sanders in the pledged delegate count and overall popular vote.
Clinton allies complain Sander's attacks, along with Donald Trump's, pose a two-front war that is wounding Clinton for a general election. Trump has already locked up the GOP nomination, allowing him to focus his attention on his likely general election matchup with Clinton.
When Welker brought that up, Sanders bristled.
"Well, I guess if we take your assumption, and Clinton supporters' assumptions, to their logical conclusion, you know what we should do? We should go back to a monarchy and not have any elections at all," Sanders said.
He added he was "disappointed although not surprised" that Clinton was opting out of a proposed Fox News debate with him in California.