Hillary Clinton sent a clear message to Bernie Sanders supporters after her big primary wins
In a speech following a string of big wins on Tuesday, the former secretary of state did not try to draw contrasts between herself and her Democratic presidential rival.
Instead, Clinton tried to focus on the areas where she and Sanders agree. She praised the senator for his focus on reducing income and wealth inequality, and proposals to tighten campaign finance regulations.
"I applaud Sen. Sanders and his millions of supporters for wanting to get unaccountable money out of our politics and giving greater emphasis to closing the gap of inequality," Clinton said.
"And I know together we will get that done. Because whether you support Sen. Sanders or support me, there's much more that unites us than divides us," she added.
The former secretary of state listed the number of ideas on which she and Sanders agreed. She highlighted the party-wide commitment to protecting LGBT rights and Social Security, among other issues.
Clinton also pleaded for Democrats to unite against Donald Trump, citing the Republican presidential frontrunner's proposals to bar Muslims from entering the country and deport the under 11 million immigrants living in the US without permission.
"We will have to stand together and work hard to prevail against candidates on the other side who would threaten all those rights and pit Americans against each other," Clinton said.
Clinton's wins Tuesday night put her closer than ever to the nomination, and could mark a turning point in the Democratic race.
The New York Times reports that despite Sanders commitment to stay in the race, top staff say the senator will be "reassessing" the campaign's strategy.
For its part, the Clinton campaign has continued to question Sanders' increasingly steep path to the nomination.
Speaking to reporters last week, Clinton campaign communications director Jennifer Palmieri asserted that the Vermont senator's campaign needed to prove how it could clinch the nomination.
"We do think that it is certainly within his right to go all the way," Palmieri said of Sanders' pledge to stay in the race. "But we hope that at the end of the contests, she will lead the popular vote, she will lead in pledged delegates. At that point, they will have to prove to you how they will win the nomination."