/ Modified jun 17, 2016 3:44 p.m.

Grijalva: Trump Defeat Will End 'Fear-Mongering, Bigotry'

Democrat switches support from Sanders to Clinton aimed at beating Republican.

U.S. Rep. Raúl Grijalva spent months campaigning across the country for presidential candidate Bernie Sanders, and now says the most important goal for Democrats must be to beat presumed Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump.

"I think it's not just a question of defeating Trump. It has to be a devastating defeat," said Grijalva, D-Ariz.

He said a lot is at stake for the country in the November election results.

A Trump defeat "has to put to rest the fear-mongering, the bigotry, the hate-mongering, everything we've heard from him. That's got to be put to rest as a legitimate way to campaign in this country."

Grijalva wrote a letter that said although he pledged to support Sanders through the entire nominating process at the party convention in Philadelphia, he will support Hillary Clinton at the end of the convention. Clinton has enough delegates from state primary races and commitments from super delegates to be the Democratic Party's nominee.

Other Sanders supporters are upset at that decision and have called Grijalva a traitor, a sellout and part of the establishment.

"I got some pretty nasty texts and emails. I expected them," he said, after seeing the passion and commitment from Sanders supporters in the eight months that he campaigned for the U.S. senator.

Sanders supporters don't want to feel sidelined in the rest of the political process, Grijalva said, and he said he hopes the Clinton campaign finds a way to incorporate Sanders' more liberal positions.

"The mainstream media keeps saying when are you going to endorse? When are you going to give up? When are you going to fold up the tent?" Grijalva said. "And that's the last thing that we need to be talking about We need to be talking about how to keep the message alive."

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