Eliza Collins

USA TODAY

Bernie Sanders thinks that Donald Trump may have some "ulterior motives" in encouraging him to run as an independent in November.

Sanders, in an interview with The Alan Colmes Show on Fox News Radio set to air Friday night, said he didn’t think Trump’s assertions that the Vermont senator was being untreated unfairly and that he should break off from his party were purely to benefit Sanders.

“Well, I am very glad that Donald Trump is staying up nights worrying about my future,” Sanders said, according to pre-released transcript clips. “I suspect there might be some ulterior motives, I don’t want to suggest that, but there might be some ulterior motives in terms of what Trump is saying.”

Trump has repeatedly accused the Democratic party of being unfair to Sanders.

Sanders did express appreciation for President Obama, who while speaking to reporters on Friday gave Sanders props for raising a variety of issues during the race and declined to say if he should get out of the race. Obama did suggest the delegate math is currently not in Sanders’ favor.

“I think everybody knows what that math is," Obama said. "I think Sen. Sanders has done an extraordinary job raising a whole range of issues that's important to Democratic voters as well as the American people generally. And I know that at some point there is going to be a conversation between Secretary Clinton and Bernie Sanders about how we move towards the convention.”

Sanders said that the president was "exactly right," adding that he appreciated "the president for staying out of the process, allowing the voters to make that decision. What he said was at the appropriate time, the campaigns will get together, and I think that’s true.”