Sanders stays in race, but hints at dropping out: 'I intend to play a role in defeating Donald Trump in a short period of time'

Sen. Bernie Sanders hinted that he may soon officially drop out of the Democratic presidential primary, but he's not ready quite yet.

In a video address to supporters on Thursday, Sanders emphasized that he is prepared to help defeat presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump.

"The major political task that we face in the next five months is to make certain that Donald Trump is defeated and defeated badly," Sanders said. "And I personally intend to begin my role in that process in a very short period of time."

But the Vermont senator also indicated that he may not exit the race before the Democratic National Convention next month, despite lacking the delegates needed to secure the nomination. 

"Defeating Donald Trump cannot be our only goal. We must continue our grassroots efforts to create the America that we know we can become," Sanders said, according to prepared remarks.

"And we must take that energy into the Democratic National Convention on July 25 in Philadelphia where we will have more than 1,900 delegates."

Sanders' campaign has been more or less on ice since presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton's decisive victory in the California primary last week. Sanders laid off at least half of his staff last week, and largely avoided public appearances and speeches. 

On Tuesday, Sanders met with Clinton for what some observers described as a productive, but occasionally tense meeting where the two discussed the terms of Sanders' exit and how best to beat presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump. The New York Times reported that the Vermont senator declined an opportunity to endorse Clinton in order to seek further concessions on many of the policies he championed in the campaign. 

Sanders said in his address that he anticipated future discussions with the former secretary of state's campaign and Democratic party officials to influence the Democratic party's official campaign platform

"I look forward, in the coming weeks, to continued discussions between the two campaigns to make certain that your voices are heard and that the Democratic Party passes the most progressive platform in its history and that Democrats actually fight for that agenda," Sanders said.

Watch the address below: