Senator Bernie Sanders along with several Democratic leaders stopped in Salt Lake City, Utah, on Friday as a part of a nationwide tour to unify the Democratic party.
Attendees gave many reasons for attending the Utah rally.
"I'm hoping for a sense of unity but also accepting the realities of the really difficult issues we have to deal with today; whether it be the war in Syria, whether it be our issues with North Korea, and -- most importantly to me -- dealing with our climate," said Beth Allen, a Sanders supporter from Salt Lake County.
By hosting a series of rallies across traditionally red states, the DNC hopes to unify and embolden Democratic support in parts of the U.S. often ignored by politicians. That includes the Beehive State where Sen. Sanders received overwhelming support; winning the the state presidential caucus in 2016.
Hundreds attended the rally including many state leaders such as House Minority Leader Brian King and Minority Whip Joel Briscoe. The rallies have received mixed reactions from audiences in Oregon, Maine and Texas. In Utah, Perez was met with several boos from the crowd during his appearance. However, the audience welcomed Sanders who made several remarks about the current state of the nation.
"We can respond to those crises, it seems to me, in one of two ways. We can look around us and watch CNN and say, 'Oh my God, I can't deal with this anymore; this is too crazy for me!'" said Sen. Sanders. "But there is another response: we are not going to desert our kids, and our grandchildren and this planet. We are going to stand up, fight back, and that's what this is about."
The tour plans to stop in Louisville, Kentucky, next week and many more states in the next month.
