Chuck Todd asks Bernie Sanders if he is changing his tune on personal attacks and targeting Hillary Clinton.



"Everybody evolves on issues. Nothing wrong with that," Sanders says.



In terms of trade, look, I am glad that in recent months Hillary Clinton has moved to my position on the Keystone Pipeline, on the Trans-Pacific Partnership. She's now making a step forward on marijuana. Not far enough in terms of getting the federal government, seeing it as illegal. But what people want to know is who has leadership.



Who was there in 1996 in terms of DOMA, the Defense of Marriage Act. So what I think the issue is, who is prepared under difficult circumstances, when it's not necessarily popular, to make decisions which are the right decisions rather than 20 years later say, "Well, maybe I was wrong." Or, "Maybe, I've got to rethink that."





Full transcript:



CHUCK TODD: But Senator, something seemed to change this week. A Boston Globe interview you said, "I disagree with Hillary Clinton on virtually everything." The Wall Street Journal, you said, "Consistency on such issues does speak to the character of a person." And then you even talked about the emails, which at the debate, you said you're tired of her damn emails, but then you said, "Let the investigation proceed unimpeded." Are you backtracking here? Do you want to target Hillary Clinton personally?



BERNIE SANDERS: Not at all. Chuck, this is exactly media stuff. My views on Hillary Clinton's emails are exactly what I said in the debate and right after the debate. The American people are sick and tired of seeing on the front pages emails. They want a real discussion on real issues. There is an investigation ongoing. I have nothing to do with it. That's that.



But my views on that have not changed. In terms of disagreeing with Hillary Clinton, yeah, I do, on many, many issues. You know, what I understand politics and elections to be about is to discuss differences of opinion. I intend to do that and do that vigorously. That does not mean that I'm making personal attacks against somebody I respect. I disagree with Hillary Clinton on whether or not we should break up the large financial institutions in this country. I don't have a super PAC. She does have a super PAC. We have many different points of view and I will discuss those vigorously.



CHUCK TODD: You know, one of the things you've said, pointed out as consistency, you believe that matters, what's wrong with evolving on issues? What's wrong with that?



BERNIE SANDERS: There's nothing wrong. Everybody evolves on issues. Nothing wrong with that. But I think if you look at the important issues facing this country, going back to 2002, who made the analysis, who looked at what Bush and Cheney were saying on the war in Iraq? It's one thing to evolve and say, "Well, I made a mistake." It's another thing other analyze the information and say, "You know what? I think that that war is a terrible mistake."



In terms of trade, look, I am glad that in recent months Hillary Clinton has moved to my position on the Keystone Pipeline, on the Trans-Pacific Partnership. She's now making a step forward on marijuana. Not far enough in terms of getting the federal government, seeing it as illegal. But what people want to know is who has leadership.



Who was there in 1996 in terms of DOMA, the Defense of Marriage Act. So what I think the issue is, who is prepared under difficult circumstances, when it's not necessarily popular, to make decisions which are the right decisions rather than 20 years later say, "Well, maybe I was wrong." Or, "Maybe, I've got to rethink that."