Sen. Bernie Sanders on Sunday called on the Democratic party to move away from "identity politics" and to talk directly about progressive issues in the wake of President-elect Trump's victory over former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton nearly two weeks ago.

"It is not good enough for somebody to say, 'I'm a woman, vote for me.' That is not good enough," Sanders told supporters in Boston. "What we need is a woman who has the guts to stand up to Wall Street, to the insurance companies, to the drug companies, to the fossil fuel industries."

Sanders also lamented the standing of the middle and working class at the moment, arguing that they are why Trump beat Clinton in the presidential contest. He told the crowd that the working class has been "decimated" in recent years.

"The working class of this country is being decimated — that's why Donald Trump won," the senator said. "And what we need now are candidates who stand with those working people, who understand that real median family income has gone down."

In a sit-down with reporters last Friday, Sanders pressed that it is a time for "soul searching" for Democrats in the wake of Clinton's loss and time to "reassess" where the party is and where it needs to go in the future.