Bernie Sanders responds to 2020 presidential bid question with inspiring speech

Vermont senator, who ran a failed bid for the 2016 Democratic presidential nomination against Hillary Clinton, urged Americans to get involved with politics

Supporters of Bernie Sanders have been offered a glimmer of hope that he may run again for the presidency after he refused to rule out another campaign in 2020.

Speaking at a CNN town hall event, the Vermont senator answered audience questions on issues impacting the American electorate.

Many are now looking to the 75-year-old, who ran a failed bid for the 2016 Democratic presidential nomination against Hillary Clinton, to help bolster the Democratic party in the wake of Donald Trump’s shock election victory.

Responding to an audience member, who asked: “My question is whether you will take up the mantel of your presidential campaign, our political revolution, and run for president in 2020,” Sen Sanders said: “Chris [Cuomo] has heard me respond to that before in the sense that it is much to early to be talking about that.”

He also issued a message of unity to the American people faced with an increasingly divisive political climate, suggesting: “You would be surprised by how many Americans hold the same views.”

“What we have got to worry about is how we deal with the issues that impact us today and one of the reasons we had success in our campaign, we also surprised a lot of people, is we talked about issues that people believed in,” he said.

“The overwhelming majority of American people, including the people that voted for Mr Trump support the ideas that we are talking about. Go to Trump supporters and ask them whether it’s right that so few have so much and so many have so little, ask them if we should raise the minimum wage to a living wage, ask them if we should rebuild our infrastructure and create millions of jobs rebuilding our roads and our bridges and our water systems, and you’ll be surprised at the kind of response.”

Senator Sanders also pleaded with voters to get “involved with the political process” in order to fight for democracy.

“There are differences across the country on things like choice and gay rights, and I support a woman’s right to choose and I support gay rights, but on many economic issues you would be surprised by how many Americans hold the same views. Very few people believe what the Republican leadership believes right now, tax breaks for billionaires and cutting social security medicare and medication,” he said.

“The main goal is not worrying about who is going to run for President, worry about all of you getting involved in the political process honouring those people who fought and died for democracy.”

It came as President Barack Obama emphasised the importance of democracy and the democratic process as key themes in his farewell speech, marking an end to his eight-year term in the White House.

He urged Americans of all backgrounds to listen to each other, and warned: "democracy is threatened whenever we take it for granted."