Donald Trump backs down from debating Bernie Sanders

Donald Trump says he will wait to debate the official Democratic nominee, and not debate Bernie Sanders, calling the Democratic nominating process "totally rigged."

• Trump puts $10M price tag on proposed debate with Sanders
• Trump, Sanders eye debate ahead of California primary

Trump said in a statement Friday that "it seems inappropriate that I would debate the second-place finisher," criticizing front-runner Hillary Clinton and the Democratic National Committee chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz as "crooked."

"As much as I want to debate Bernie Sanders," Trump said, "I will wait to debate the first-place finisher in the Democratic Party."

Sanders responded with a statement of his own, saying, "Given that there are several television networks prepared to carry this debate and donate funds to charity, I hope that he changes his mind once again and comes on board."

Sanders added: "There is a reason why in virtually every national and statewide poll I am defeating Donald Trump, sometimes by very large margins and almost always by far larger margins than Secretary Clinton. There is a reason for that reality and the American people should be able to see it up front in a good debate and a clash of ideas."