‘This Week’ Transcript: Sen. Bernie Sanders

This is a rush transcript for "This Week" on May 22, 2016

ByABC News
May 22, 2016, 9:03 AM

— -- THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT FOR 'THIS WEEK' ON May 22, 2016 and it will be updated.

ABC THIS WEEK

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Starting right now on THIS WEEK with George Stephanopoulos,

Locked and loaded...

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DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: "crooked Hillary Clinton" is the most anti-gun, anti-Second Amendment candidate.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's now an all-out battle, with both sides firing away.

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HILLARY CLINTON (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Unlike Donald Trump, I will not pander to the gun lobby.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Our brand new poll reveals Trump's surprising strength and Clinton's potential for a big boost ahead.

But is Bernie Sanders still standing in her way?

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SEN. BERNIE SANDERS (I-VT), DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I don't want to see the American people voting for the lesser of two evils.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And fear factor -- after that mysterious plane crash overseas, the TSA's tough job just got even tougher.

Will fear of terror tangle U.S. airports?

Plus, Zika threat -- the sudden spike in cases here at home and why it may get much worse.

From ABC News, it's THIS WEEK.

Here now, chief anchor George Stephanopoulos.

GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS, ABC HOST: Good morning.

It seems like nothing in this year's race for the White House has been predictable and our brand new poll from ABC News and "The Washington Post" promises more surprises to come.

Out just this morning, it shows a tight battle between two of the most unlike candidates ever. The top line, Donald Trump has edged ahead of Hillary Clinton, drawing 46 percent of registered voters to her 44.

Now that lead is inside the margin of error, so technologically a dead heat. But take a look at these trend lines.

From September of last year, Clinton has always been out front by a margin 9 point lead. Now that's gone.

You might say the poll shows a race to the bottom. Take a look at this.

Sixty percent of Americans have an unfavorable opinion of Donald Trump, 53 percent for Hillary Clinton, the first time in the history of our polling that a majority of Americans hold a poor opinion of both candidates.

Trump has pulled ahead by bringing Republicans home. Eighty-five percent now support him. And almost half now say he holds the core values of the party.

Now, it's not great, but a big improvement from the primaries. He's also persuading Independents to come his way, turning a 9 point deficit in March to a 13 point lead now.

Meantime, Hillary Clinton is having a hard time sharing up the Democratic base. Fifteen percent of President Obama's voters last time now say they'll vote for Trump,

So will Clinton get a bounce when the primaries are over?

There are some clues in the poll that may happen, but she has to get by Bernie first.

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SANDERS: Albuquerque is road for a political revolution.

STEPHANOPOULOS (voice-over): One irony of this campaign, the candidate with worst chance of making it to the White House is also the most popular right now.

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STEPHANOPOULOS: Only Bernie Sanders cracks 50 percent.

But the primaries are not simply a popularity contest. It's all about the delegates now, and as "SNL" joked last night...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm not going anywhere.

STEPHANOPOULOS: Sanders all but done there.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Senator Sanders, I'm sorry, before the night is over.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No. No, it's not over. It's not over until I say it's over.