Bernie Sanders booed by supporters during Clinton endorsement speech
Bernie Sanders attempted to unite the Democrats in his speech to the party convention.
Things looked good for the Vermont senator, after he received a three-minute standing ovation as he to took the stage in Philadelphia.
Fans chanted “Bernie”, their cheers drowning out his attempts to address the crowd as they held signs bearing his name.
However, the mood quickly changed, as Mr Sanders implored the party to gather behind his one-time rival Hillary Clinton, saying she “must become the next president of the United States.”
His fans began to boo any mention of Mrs Clinton, as Mr Sanders urged them to support her in the final major speech of the night.
Some supporters burst into tears, while others dramatically wearing duct tape with the words “silenced” over their mouths.
Undeterred, Mr Sanders – who endorsed Mrs Clinton earlier this month – said the party must to unite in order to tackle the “very real threat” of Republican nominee Donald Trump being elected as the country’s leader.
“While Donald Trump is busy insulting one group after another, Hillary Clinton understands that our diversity is one of our greatest strengths,” Mr Sanders continued.
“If you don’t believe this election is important, if you think you can sit it out, take a moment to think about the Supreme Court justices that Donald Trump would nominate and what that would mean to civil liberties, equal rights and the future of our country.
“Hillary Clinton will make an outstanding president and I am proud to stand with her here tonight,” he added before he left the stage.
Mr Sanders later sent an email to his supporters, warning them that the reputation of the progressive movement would be damaged by “booing, turning of backs, walking out or other similar displays” of protests.
His voters were no doubt angered by revelations from Wikileaks, which showed party officials allegedly plotted against Mr Sanders’ campaign, after the FBI announced it was to investigate the claims.
Mr Sanders had gained momentum as a left-wing alternative to Clinton earlier this year during the Democratic primaries.
But despite popularity online, the socialist politician was heavily defeated – netting 1,894 delegates to Clinton’s 2,807, with 4 million fewer votes in the party primaries.
