Sanders Laying Off Staff but Vows to Fight On

He's meeting Obama on Thursday
By Rob Quinn,  Newser Staff
Posted Jun 8, 2016 4:41 AM CDT
Updated Jun 8, 2016 5:33 AM CDT
Sanders: 'The Struggle Continues'
Bernie Sanders speaks at a rally Tuesday in Santa Monica, Calif.   (AP Photo/John Locher)

With Hillary Clinton proclaiming a historic victory—and taking four of Tuesday night's six states, including California—Bernie Sanders made it clear that he was in no mood to concede, especially not with DC's primary on the way, the Washington Post reports. "We are going to fight hard to win the primary in Washington, DC, and then we take our fight for social, economic, racial, and economic justice to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania," he told supporters at a late-night rally in Santa Monica, Calif., vowing to keep fighting for every delegate and every vote. "The struggle continues," he said as he exited. In other developments:

  • The White House issued a statement saying President Obama had called Clinton to "congratulate her on securing the delegates necessary to clinch the Democratic nomination" and Sanders to thank him for "energizing millions of Americans with his commitment to issues like fighting economic inequality," NBC News reports. The White House says that at Sanders' request, Sanders and Obama will meet in Washington on Thursday.

  • Sources tell the New York Times that Sanders is laying off at least half of his campaign staff, though some may find roles at his Senate offices. A Sanders spokesman says he plans to return home to Vermont from California Wednesday before traveling to DC Thursday. The DC primary is June 14.
  • The AP notes that Sanders spoke to Clinton Tuesday evening and he did not criticize her in his Santa Monica speech.
  • Sanders scored victories in North Dakota and Montana, while Clinton added New Mexico and South Dakota to her early victory in New Jersey. Sanders had hoped for a long-shot victory in California, but the state was called for Clinton on Wednesday morning.
  • Donald Trump, meanwhile, cruised to victory in Tuesday's five GOP primaries. He was running effectively unopposed, but there were still plenty of anti-Trump votes: In South Dakota, he took just 67% of the vote, with many voters opting for Ted Cruz or John Kasich, who were still on the ballot. The AP reports that Trump now has 1,441 bound delegates, more than enough to give him the nomination even if every unbound delegate turns against him.
(More Election 2016 stories.)

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