Bernie Sanders Tries to Storm Out of Interview After AOC Question
The Vermont Senator lost his temper after an ABC host asked if the New York representative would run against Sen. Chuck Schumer.
Sen. Bernie Sanders nearly stormed off the set during an interview on ABC Sunday.
Sanders lost his temper when host Jonathan Karl asked about the possibility of Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez running to replace Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, who has faced a massive backlash from Democrats after voting for a GOP-backed spending bill.
“You want to do nonsense, do nonsense!” Sanders said from off-screen after standing up to leave.
“I don’t want to talk about inside-the-Beltway stuff,” he added as Karl implored him to stay.
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The interviewer insisted he had only asked about Ocasio-Cortez because the pair had appeared at a series of political events together in the last week. Sanders only took his seat after Karl assured him his following question would be about Sanders himself.
Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez hit the road last week for a series of rallies “Fighting Oligarchy” at college campuses and in different swing districts across Colorado, Arizona, and Nevada. A gathering in Denver, Colo., on Saturday drew an estimated 30,000 people.
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“This nation was built by working people, and we’re not going to let a handful of billionaires run the government,” Sanders told the crowd.
Democrats have been embroiled in a civil war since Schumer voted to advance a government-funding bill backed by Republicans last week. Schumer said he had supported the bill to avoid the damaging upheaval of a government shutdown.
In response, dozens of House Democrats penned a letter to Schumer condemning his “capitulation” and perceived failure to “fight against Republican chaos.” Former Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a longtime ally of Schumer’s, remarked, “I myself don’t give away anything for nothing.”
Amid the carnage, California Rep. Ro Khanna has publicly urged Ocasio-Cortez to challenge Schumer for his seat should he run for re-election in 2028.
Sanders appeared reluctant to address Ocasio-Cortez’s leadership prospects, though he did answer the reporter’s question about the future of his own career.
“Right now, I’m Vermont Senator. That’s what I do, and I’m very happy to do it,” he said. “I am 83 years of age. So… and I’m tired!”
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