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Donald Trump gave Bernie Sanders a shout-out in his RNC speech, and Sanders was not amused

When Donald Trump delivered his acceptance speech at the Republican National Convention, Bernie Sanders was watching.

Recently coming off his endorsement of Hillary Clinton, Sanders live-tweeted Trump’s RNC convention speech Thursday night, largely using the #RNCWithBernie hashtag.

When Trump invoked Sanders’s name as a testament to his unifying prowess, claiming Sanders supporters "will join our movement, because we will fix his biggest issue, trade deals" and that "millions of Democrats" will become Trump supporters, Sanders was there to stop him short.

Sanders continued, fact-checking Trump on foreign policy:

And on economic policy:

Sanders critiqued Trump’s character:

And even expressed agreement with Ted Cruz:

Trump likes say that he and Sanders are two sides of the same coin

In April, when Trump had all but locked up the presidential nomination and Clinton’s lead over Sanders was looking increasingly unbeatable, Trump began to adopt a pro-Sanders strategy.

Once having lambasted Sanders for being "beyond socialism," Trump has shifted to lamenting about the "rigged system" that prevented Sanders from challenging Clinton’s presidential bid, in a clear play for his voters.

On the surface, it's not that far-fetched an idea: "There is a distinctive anti-establishment tenor to the campaigns," Matt Dickinson, a political science professor at Middleburg College, told me in June.

It's clear that both Trump and Sanders have been able to tap into that basic economic theme. Paired with their attacks on 30 years of trade deals ruining American prosperity, Trump is trying to make a play for the frustrated Sanders supporters.

But it’s clear Sanders doesn’t agree. He said he would vote for Clinton for president, and he's encouraging his voters to follow suit.


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