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Bernie Sanders vowed Sunday to stay in the Democratic race

Sanders said his criticism of Hillary Clinton isn't meant to help Donald Trump

Washington CNN  — 

Bernie Sanders said at a Sunday news conference that he faces “a tough road to climb, but not an impossible road to climb” to win the Democratic presidential nomination.

Sanders made clear, yet again, he has no plans to get out of the race against Hillary Clinton before all the votes are cast in June. But he proceeded to make the argument that superdelegates from states he won should back him.

“Those superdelegates in states where either candidate has won landslide victories ought to seriously reflect on whether they should cast their superdelegate vote in line with the wishes of the people in their states,” Sanders said.

Of course, even if the Democratic officials from New Hampshire, Minnesota, Washington state and others decided to back him, the math still doesn’t work in his favor – and he didn’t sugarcoat that fact.

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He also said his words are not intended to help in Trump’s effort to take down Clinton, saying Republicans have all the ammunition they need on Clinton, even after Trump told “Fox News Sunday” that he plans to use Sanders’ words against Clinton in the general election.

“The Republican Party and Trump have the resources to do all the opposition research they want on Secretary Clinton. They don’t need Bernie Sanders’ critiques of the secretary,” Sanders said.

Jane Sanders, perhaps the Vermont senator’s most important adviser, stood at the side of the room and recorded parts of the 30-minute event with her phone.

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Sanders said his supporters won’t vote for Trump. He said he would do whatever it takes to help stop Trump – except, apparently, start to wind down his campaign.

With that, Sanders left his unusual Sunday stop at the National Press Club and headed to Indiana.

Zeleny reported from Washington; Bradner reported from Indianapolis.