Jimmy Kimmel, currently on a self-propelled quest to interview "all the candidates so I can decide which one of them will be my running mate," welcomed Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders to his ABC headquarters on Thursday. Sanders' appearance came just one day after presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump stopped by Kimmel to tease a possible debate between the two, something the staunch rivals appear to be pushing toward fruition.
"You made it possible for us to have a very interesting debate about two guys who look at the world very, very differently," Sanders told Kimmel. "I think the goal would be to have it in some big stadium here in California."
Sanders also spoke on a previous agreement he had with Democratic frontrunner Hillary Clinton, in which the two were set to host their own debate in the state. "I think it's kind of insulting to the people of the largest state in the United States of America not to come forward and talk about the serious issues that impact this state and impact the country," Sanders said.
Kimmel then played a clip of Clinton professing that there is simply no way she won't be the Democratic party’s nominee, a clip Sanders said displayed "a tinge of arrogance." However, for anyone assuming Sanders is prepping his team for a third-party run, Sanders had some reality checks to deliver.
"I think there's a little bit of self-service there from Donald Trump," Sanders said when responding to a question Trump wanted Kimmel to ask the Vermont senator about running as an Independent. "Tell him that what I hope will happen is that, in fact, I will run against him as the Democratic nominee for President of the United States, and if I do, we're going to beat him and beat him bad."
Sanders, who also discussed the ongoing "bigotry" surrounding so-called bathroom bills during his Kimmel appearance, is currently campaigning vigorously in California ahead of the state's June 7 primary. A Public Policy Institute of California poll released Wednesday shows that Clinton's lead in the state has dwindled to just two percentage points, which is within the margin of error.
