A year later, Bernie Sanders calls Donald Trump's election an 'unprecedented disaster' for America

Published 5:30 p.m. ET Nov. 8, 2017

Excerpts:

Sanders said he sees a role for himself in rebuilding the Democratic Party — as an independent.

“I think the first thing the Democratic Party's got to do is say to every independent in this country, ‘We want you, come on into the party,' ” he said. “As an independent, I think I can play a very positive role in telling other independents, ‘You may disagree with Democrats on this and that, but come on in and fight it out and play a role in growing the Democratic Party.’ ”

During the interview with USA TODAY, he focused on the work of the DNC’s Unity Reform Commission as key to the party’s future. The commission, which includes Sanders and Clinton supporters and the DNC chair’s appointees, is expected to vote next month on recommendations to increase voter participation in the presidential nominating process, involve new and unaffiliated voters and broaden the party’s base.

Sanders has been calling for electoral reforms since the primary. He wants to limit the number of superdelegates, the party leaders and elected officials who can vote for the candidate of their choice at the convention and who overwhelmingly backed Clinton in 2016. He’s also calling for a more open primary process with same-day registration to encourage more voter participation.

Sanders is the first independent to hold a party leadership position since the modern leadership structure began. As chair of outreach for Senate Democrats, he has organized more than 170 rallies and visited 19 states for events that include rallies for the Affordable Care Act, according to his office. He says Democrats need to get out of Washington,D.C., more and focus on creating a 50-state party, backing good candidates in places like Iowa and Kansas, even if they’re going to lose.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2017/11/08/year-later-bernie-sanders-calls-donald-trumps-election-unprecedented-disaster-america/845386001/