ATLANTA -- In the opening minutes of Wednesday night's Democratic presidential primary debate, Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., issued a warning to his party: Focus too much on President Trump and you'll lose the White House again in 2020.

Sanders was quick to criticize the president using harsh language, but made it clear that there are other important issues that require attention.

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"We can deal with Trump’s corruption but we also have to stand up for the working families of this country," Sanders said. The Democratic socialist also pointed to climate change, health care and the outside influence of money in politics as examples of issues that deserve attention.

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Sanders did initially join other candidates who kicked off the debate by lambasting Trump, calling him a "pathological liar" and "likely the most corrupt president in the modern history of America," but the senator, making his second run for the presidency, made sure to add that his attention is primarily on the issues.