Bernie Sanders advises Hillary Clinton: Stick to the issues

WASHINGTON, Sept. 16 (UPI) -- Former Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders said Friday Hillary Clinton would be well advised to stick to the issues in her campaign against Donald Trump and not be dragged into debates about personality.

Sanders said voters view Clinton as the more experienced and qualified candidate. Sticking to the issues, rather than engaging Trump in a tit-for-tat exchange of insults, will reinforce her strengths over Trump, he said.

"I think what she has got to do is contrast, get away from all of this personality stuff, which media focuses on every single day. And start talking about the real issues. The American people do not agree with Trump," Sanders said, suggesting a few questions, including, "Mr. Trump, do you really think that billionaires need a massive tax break? Mr. Trump, do you really think that when the entire scientific community tells us that climate change is real and a threat to the entire planet, that you think it's a hoax? What's your scientific basis for that? Mr. Trump, tell me what you're going to do? You want to abolish the Affordable Care Act for 20 million in this country off healthcare. How many are going to die, how many are going to become much sicker? What's your view on taking on the drug companies? You go issue by issue and I think you expose him for the fraud that he is."

Morning Joe cohost Joe Scarborough asked Sanders why some of the younger voters who flocked to him in the primary have not supported Clinton in the general election with the same fervor. Sanders acknowledged "some" of his former supporters have not backed Clinton, but the "vast majority" have. He said his supporters have rallied around Clinton because they oppose the values Trump has put forth in his campaign.

"I'll tell you, there is an issue that is bringing the people who voted for me, I think, together. That is this issue of bigotry. You can disagree with Clinton on this or Trump on that, but we have come so far in this country in struggling against discrimination and racism and sexism," he said.