Bernie Sanders says Trump won by promising to ‘smash the system,’ slams Chuck Schumer for saying Dems are united
“He won the election because a lot of people are saying, ‘Who is going to do anything?’ And Trump comes along and says ‘I’m gonna smash the system.”
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Senator Bernie Sanders criticized Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer’s claim that the Democratic Party is unified, arguing that Donald Trump’s presidential victory was rooted in a vision that involved “smashing the system.”
Appearing on CNN with Kaitlan Collins, Sanders pushed back on the idea that Democrats are presenting a cohesive message to the American people.
“You need an agenda,” Sanders said, questioning what exactly the party is united around.
The discussion came in the context of how Democrats should respond to Trump following his first 100 days back in office. While Schumer has claimed the party is united, Sanders insisted that unity without a clear vision is not enough.
Sanders was also asked to respond to political commentator James Carville’s criticism of progressive figures like Sanders and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who Carville has said are not winning elections.
“I think that is part of the old Democratic establishment and they are interested in winning elections, which is very, very important, but in my view, you can’t win elections unless you have something to say to the vast majority of the people in this country,” Sanders said.
“I do not think that Donald Trump won the election because he promised tax breaks for billionaires and to cut Medicaid and nutrition and education, that’s not why he won the election,” Sanders continued. “He won the election because a lot of people are saying, ‘Who is going to do anything?’ And Trump comes along and says ‘I’m gonna smash the system.’”
Sanders urged the Democratic Party to “have the courage to take on the very powerful special interests who, to a large degree, control the political process and the legislative process in the United States.”
Sanders is currently on a national political tour with Ocasio-Cortez, dubbed the “Fighting Oligarchy Tour,” which focuses on an agenda that includes economic equality and special interests in politics.
At a rally in Michigan, President Trump took a jab at Sanders, calling him a “lunatic” but conceding that the Vermont senator is “pretty sharp,” referring to the ongoing political tour.
