Meghan McCain did not mince words when it came to Senator Bernie Sanders’ departure from the Democratic presidential campaign this week on The View.
Shortly after co-host Joy Behar insisted that the “rumors of my retirement have been greatly exaggerated,” McCain shared her reaction to Sanders’ refusal to fully endorse Joe Biden on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert the night before.
“That wasn't exactly a swinging endorsement of Joe Biden, but I really didn't expect anything less,” McCain said. From there, she argued that it probably would have been “more prudent” for him to drop out earlier. “And before the Bernie bros just light me on fire, please calm down, I don't care,” she continued before declaring that the “crossover appeal of socialist Democrats has been over-promised and overhyped.”
“I think the main question lingering right now is what I call the Susan Sarandon Bernie supporter,” McCain said, referring to comments that the actress and progressive activist made ahead of the 2016 election. In March of that year, Sarandon told MSNBC’s Chris Hayes that she couldn’t personally bring herself to vote for Hillary Clinton and suggested that Trump might be better at prompting the “revolution” that she wanted to see.
As McCain explained, ultimately 12 percent of Bernie Sanders supporters ended up voting for Trump. “And I think there’s a chance in this election cycle you could see those kind of numbers again,” she said. “And as we’re all aware, 12 percent of supporters can make a big difference. So it will be interesting to see if he comes out and campaigns hard for Joe Biden, and ultimately if these ‘Bernie Bros’ can make their way to the voting booth and pull the trigger for Joe Biden.”
Later, during an interview with former Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg, McCain called Sanders supporters “notoriously difficult” before once again focusing the issue on herself.
“There were no ‘Pete Bros’ attacking me every time I was critical of you,” she said. “But any time any woman goes on TV and says anything about Bernie Sanders we are viciously and misogynistically attacked as a result.” McCain expressed her concern about “history repeating itself with the ‘Bernie Bro’ supporters” in the fall.