Bernie Sanders has proudly never run a negative political ad during his decades in politics, but he left the door open to changing his ways during this presidential campaign in a new interview with former Obama adviser David Axelrod.

“Well, it’s my hope that I will never run a negative ad,” Sanders replied when Axelrod asked if the senator thought he could make it through the 2016 campaign without going negative. “I surely hope so. I surely hope so.”

“I never have after all these years. But I — we’ll see,” Sanders added in the interview, which was released Tuesday.



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Sanders has not shied away from drawing contrasts with Hillary Clinton on policy issues like climate change and trade deals, and aides suggested he’s became more willing to edge toward conflict after a pro-Clinton super PAC was revealed to be pushing anti-Sanders opposition research. But Sanders has avoided discussing non-policy issues like Clinton’s emails.

For her part, Clinton has barely uttered Sanders’ name, but in an interview with MSNBC Monday, she noted that Democratic members of Congress have lined up behind her, with the implicit point being that they’ve snubbed Sanders.

Meanwhile, Sanders also bemoaned the rise of selfies in the interview with Axelrod, who now runs the Institute of Politics at the University of Chicago. The interview was the debut episode of a new podcast hosted by the Obama alum.

“Oh, my God. Jesus, don’t talk to me about selfies,” Sanders said when asked if he’s surprised how many people want to take a picture with hum. “Don’t ask me for a selife, David!”