At this point, Bernie Sanders has little chance of becoming the Democratic nominee, much to the dismay of his supporters. That being said, Hillary Clinton is having trouble winning over Sanders supporters — particularly those who identify as independents and progressives. If Clinton wants to have a chance at the presidency, she needs to bring disillusioned Sanders supporters into the fold.

Clinton has always carried with her a certain degree of appealing wonkishness. Her vast experience with domestic and foreign policy is extremely hard to contend with and many analysts positioned her as the most capable candidate. However, trust seems to be her biggest weakness. A significant amount of voters feel uneasy with her because they are unsure of what Clinton truly stands for.

As the saying goes, “better the devil you know than the devil you don’t know.” Though extreme, the value of a politician’s dependability and trustworthiness cannot be understated. If she ever wants to convince the Bernie base that she is, in fact, on their side, there are few basic things that she needs to clear up on her end.

Firstly, she needs to reconcile with Sanders when the cameras are not rolling, and discuss how she can work towards implementing some of the popular reforms that formed the basis of his campaign. Sanders’ ideas were able to engage a wide swath of people who felt disenfranchised by the Democratic Party, and capturing those votes should be a priority for Clinton.

She also needs to ask for an official, public endorsement from Sanders. As the primaries progressed, it seemed that the two candidates grew more and more hostile towards each other, and their supporters followed suit. Because of this, political experts have been saying that Clinton might lose a significant chunk of the electorate if Sanders supporters fail to rally around her, especially if Sanders decides to run in the general election as an independent.

Secondly, she needs make clear her stance when it comes to hot button issues such as Black Lives Matter, immigration policies and student loan debt. Instead of being a vertical leader — tossing opinions down from above by delivering speeches — she should have more town hall-style meetings with activists and those with the most at stake.

Thirdly, she needs to show she can be vulnerable as a leader. Clinton needs to do away with this perfect public persona and give the public a glimpse of what some of her failures have been. If she can admit that she is a person who has made mistakes in the past, and that she is willing to learn and be open to constructive criticism, people would resonate with and come to trust the commander-in-chief that she aspires to be.

Opinions expressed on the editorial pages are not necessarily those of WSN, and our publication of opinions is not an endorsement of them.

A version of this article appeared in the Monday, May 2 print edition. Email Tegan Joseph Mosugu at [email protected].