Senator Bernie Sanders has said it is “likely” he would have beaten Donald Trump in the 2016 election, but that “it doesn’t matter” now that Mr Trump is president.

He was speaking on Showtime’s The Circus when he was asked about populism in the US and how Mr Trump had tapped into it to win.

“What I recognised was pain. All over this country people are hurting and they are hurting very badly. Trump understood that, by the way, and that's why he said, 'The whole system sucks. I'm going to blow it up,’” Mr Sanders said.

Mr Sanders has been an outspoken critic of the president's policy on the environment, healthcare, the economy, and a host of other issues.

Mr Sanders’ campaign run garnered millions of supporters however he ultimately lost the Democratic Party’s nomination to Hillary Clinton.

Some felt he stayed in the race too long and did not work hard enough to bring his supporters over to Ms Clinton once he lost for the sake of the party winning against Mr Trump.

The Hill reported that a recent Harvard-Harris survey that showed 57 per cent of registered voters viewed Mr Sanders “favorably” compared to other political figures in the US, but the poll did not ask whether they would have voted for him for president.

Bernie Sanders campaigns with Hillary Clinton Show all 15 1 /15 Bernie Sanders campaigns with Hillary Clinton Bernie Sanders campaigns with Hillary Clinton Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, followed by Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt. arrives for a rally in Portsmouth, N.H., Tuesday, July 12, 2016. Andrew Harnik/AP Bernie Sanders campaigns with Hillary Clinton A woman holds a sign at an event where Bernie Sanders will appear with Hillary Clinton at Portsmouth High School July 12, 2016 in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Sanders and Clinton are expected to show unity within the party and a forwarding of their agendas. Darren McCollester/Getty Bernie Sanders campaigns with Hillary Clinton Cerys Coffey, 5, of North Hampton, Massachusetts, walks along a line of supporters waiting to get into a campaign event with Democratic U.S. presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Senator Bernie Sanders in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, U.S., July 12, 2016. Mary Schwalm/Reuters Bernie Sanders campaigns with Hillary Clinton Democratic U.S. presidential candidate Hillary Clinton and Sen. Bernie Sanders stand together during a campaign rally where Sanders endorsed Clinton in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, U.S., July 12, 2016. Brian Snyder/Reuters Bernie Sanders campaigns with Hillary Clinton Democratic U.S. presidential candidate Hillary Clinton and Sen. Bernie Sanders greet supporters during a campaign rally where Sanders endorsed Clinton in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, U.S., July 12, 2016. Brian Snyder/Reuters Bernie Sanders campaigns with Hillary Clinton Democratic U.S. presidential candidate Hillary Clinton speaks as Senator Bernie Sanders looks on after he endorsed her during a campaign rally in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, U.S., July 12, 2016. Brian Snyder/Reuters Bernie Sanders campaigns with Hillary Clinton Democratic U.S. presidential candidate Hillary Clinton (R) looks on as Senator Bernie Sanders endorses her during a campaign rally in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, U.S., July 12, 2016. Brian Snyder/Reuters Bernie Sanders campaigns with Hillary Clinton Democratic U.S. presidential candidate Hillary Clinton looks on as Senator Bernie Sanders endorses her during a campaign rally in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, U.S., July 12, 2016. Brian Snyder/Reuters Bernie Sanders campaigns with Hillary Clinton Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, followed by Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., arrives for a rally in Portsmouth, N.H., Tuesday, July 12, 2016, where Sanders endorsed Clinton for president. Andrew Harnik/AP Bernie Sanders campaigns with Hillary Clinton Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt. waves as he a Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton arrive for a rally in Portsmouth, N.H., Tuesday, July 12, 2016. Andrew Harnik/AP Bernie Sanders campaigns with Hillary Clinton People hold signs outside an event where Bernie Sanders will appear with Hillary Clinton at Portsmouth High School July 12, 2016 in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Sanders and Clinton are expected to show unity within the party and a forwarding of their agendas. Darren McCollester/Getty Bernie Sanders campaigns with Hillary Clinton Supporters for Democratic presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt. cheer before a rally in Portsmouth, N.H., Tuesday, July 12, 2016, prior to the arrival of Clinton and Sanders. Sanders is poised to offer his long-awaited endorsement of Clinton, hoping to transfer the energy of his supporters into the party's fight against Republican Donald Trump. Andrew Harnik/AP Bernie Sanders campaigns with Hillary Clinton Supporters of Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton sing the national anthem in Portsmouth, N.H., Tuesday, July 12, 2016, prior to a rally with Democratic presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt. Sanders is poised to offer his long-awaited endorsement of Democratic rival Hillary Clinton, hoping to transfer the energy of his supporters into the party's fight against Republican Donald Trump. Andrew Harnik/AP Bernie Sanders campaigns with Hillary Clinton Supporters of Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton sing the national anthem in Portsmouth, N.H., Tuesday, July 12, 2016, prior to a rally with Democratic presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt. Sanders is poised to offer his long-awaited endorsement of Democratic rival Hillary Clinton, hoping to transfer the energy of his supporters into the party's fight against Republican Donald Trump. Andrew Harnik/AP Bernie Sanders campaigns with Hillary Clinton A woman holds poster for Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton during a rally in Portsmouth, N.H., Tuesday, July 12, 2016, where Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt. endorsed her for president. Andrew Harnik/AP

Mr Sanders went on a Democratic party “unity tour” with party chairman Tom Perez in an effort to galvanise grassroots efforts to oppose Mr Trump’s policies despite making claims that he wants “the establishment” to change.

Mr Sanders said the party will “have to open its door to independents” in order to succeed, adding “and I want to see it succeed”.

“I’m an Independent,” he said, adding that there are likely more fall into that category rather than Republicans and Democrats.

At a rally with Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren, Mr Sanders said,“we need a Democratic Party which is not the party of the liberal elite but a party of the working class of this country.”

However, he did not address why he ran as a Democratic presidential candidate instead of campaigning as an Independent.