The appearance launched the so-called “persuasion phase” of his campaign, in which staffers say Sanders is trying to draw a deeper contrast between his ideas and those of his opponents. It was also Sanders’ first New Hampshire visit since Vice President Joe Biden announced he would not enter the race, leaving former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton as Sanders’ only serious rival.

“Nothing that I am talking about is Utopian, is pie-in-the-sky,” Sanders said. “Virtually everything that I am talking about is supported by the vast majority of the American people, And virtually everything that I’m talking about, and my hopes and dreams for America, are being done in one or another country around the world.”

Later, Sanders backed up his views on increasing the estate tax by harkening back to GOP President Teddy Roosevelt — “a great communist revolutionary,” Sanders joked.

Sanders largely stuck to the stump speech about income inequality, jobs and campaign finance reform that has served him since his May campaign kickoff in Burlington, Vt. But he has added to it.

Instead of talking about equality for all people, Sanders made a point to mention institutional racism. And instead of saying that the United States needs to fight climate change, he said that Republicans should stand up on the issue rather than act in fear of losing campaign donors.