Trump said in a debate that if he were president, the Democratic nominee would be “in jail” for alleged wrongdoing associated with her use of a private email server while she was secretary of state. FBI Director James B. Comey recommended in July that neither Clinton nor her aides be charged in the episode and restated that conclusion just days before the election after his agency examined a newly discovered batch of email.

Once Trump takes office, the Republican could order his attorney general to appoint a special prosecutor to pursue a case against Clinton.

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“We read about these things, and we see these things in nondemocratic counties all over the world,” Sanders, the runner-up in the Democratic primaries, said Thursday. “That would completely divide this country. It would be an outrage. I would hope very, very, very much that Mr. Trump understands that is not something he should do.”

Trump, asked about his intentions on “60 Minutes” on Sunday, ticked off a number of other priorities for his new administration, including jobs, health care and immigration. And he suggested he didn’t want to hurt Clinton. But he didn’t rule out pursuing a legal case against her.

“I will give you a very, very good and definitive answer the next time we do ‘60 Minutes’ together,” Trump told interviewer Lesley Stahl.

During a wide-ranging discussion with reporters at the breakfast, Sanders also said that he believes there is a role for Clinton to play in the Democratic Party going forward.

“It goes without saying she has a very important role to play in the future of the Democratic Party,” Sanders said. “Her voice is an important voice, and it needs to be heard.”

Sanders's now-famous line about Clinton’s “damn emails” came during a primary-season debate in October 2015.