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Politics

Sanders Pushes For Debate With Trump; Trump Declines

Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders says his campaign and supporters were not treated fairly during last Saturday's Nevada Democratic convention.
Charlie Neibergall AP
Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders says his campaign and supporters were not treated fairly during last Saturday's Nevada Democratic convention.

Donald Trump says he will wait to debate the official Democratic nominee, and not debate Bernie Sanders, calling the Democratic nominating process "totally rigged."

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Trump said in a statement Friday that "it seems inappropriate that I would debate the second place finisher," criticizing front-runner Hillary Clinton and the Democratic National Committee chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz as "crooked."

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"As much as I want to debate Bernie Sanders," Trump said, "I will wait to debate the first place finisher in the Democratic Party."

But Sanders' campaign also released a statement reiterating its interest in debating the presumptive Republican nominee, saying the campaign has received two offers by television networks looking to air a Trump-Sanders debate.

"Both offers include a major contribution to charity," Sanders' campaign manager Jeff Weaver said in a statement.

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