'Where would you stick the knife in?': Clinton campaign chair agreed Sanders needed to be 'ground to a pulp'

The chairman of Hillary Clinton's campaign agreed with a Democratic strategist in February that the former secretary of state needed to make sure Bernie Sanders was "ground to a pulp," hacked emails published by WikiLeaks on Thursday revealed.

Joel Johnson, the managing director at the Glover Park Group and a former adviser to President Bill Clinton, wrote John Podesta, the chairman of the Clinton campaign, with some advice on how to handle the Vermont senator during the primary season.

"Bernie needs to be ground to a pulp," Johnson wrote. "We can't start believing our own primary bulls---."

Johnson added: "Crush him as hard as you can."

Podesta replied to the email, writing that he did "agree with that in principle."

"Where would you stick the knife in?" the Clinton campaign chairman asked.

Johnson suggested Clinton characterize Sanders as an "Obama betrayer," "hapless legislator," "false promiser," and someone who "can't win."

After a hard-fought primary, Sanders ultimately endorsed Clinton for president. The Vermont senator was set to campaign for Clinton in Iowa, Nebraska, and Colorado in the final days of the campaign.