BERNIE SANDERS ON TRUMP: If he's serious, we'll work with him. If not, we'll 'vigorously oppose him'

Bernie Sanders has some words about Donald Trump's election victory.

The Vermont senator has never been a fan of Trump, as evidenced by his fervent rebuke of the real-estate mogul-turned president-elect over the course of the election cycle, but Sanders appears to have given him the benefit of the doubt.

In his statement on Wednesday evening, Sanders reprised some familiar calls he made during the campaign, saying that Trump "tapped into the anger of a declining middle class that is sick and tired of establishment economics, establishment politics and the establishment media."

The sentiment resembles what drove his own political movement in the throes of the Democratic primary, where he fought Hillary Clinton for the party's nomination.

Here's more from Sanders' statement:

"People are tired of working longer hours for lower wages, of seeing decent paying jobs go to China and other low-wage countries, of billionaires not paying any federal income taxes and of not being able to afford a college education for their kids - all while the very rich become much richer. "

Then, Sanders - like Clinton, and President Barack Obama, and even House Speaker Paul Ryan on Wednesday - struck a cooperative tone, saying: "To the degree that Mr. Trump is serious about pursuing policies that improve the lives of working families in this country, I and other progressives are prepared to work with him."

But he added one condition: "To the degree that he pursues racist, sexist, xenophobic and anti-environment policies, we will vigorously oppose him."