With voting in Iowa just over two weeks away, failed 2016 Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton ripped open an old and ugly wound, slamming Sen. Bernie Sanders as someone “nobody likes.”
And Clinton didn’t stop there, saying his supporters are not much better.
With the Hulu docuseries “Hillary” premiering at this week’s Sundance Film Festival, Clinton was being interviewed by The Hollywood Reporter, and she didn’t mince her words when it comes to Sanders.
In the second episode of the docuseries, Clinton said: “Honestly, Bernie just drove me crazy. He was in Congress for years. He had one senator support him. Nobody likes him. Nobody wants to work with him. He got nothing done. He was a career politician. He did not work until he was like 41, and then he got elected to something. It was all just baloney and I feel so bad that people got sucked into it.”
She was asked if that assessment still holds.
“Yes, it does,” she told THR.
Clinton was hesitant to say that she would endorse Sanders if he get the nomination, saying she’s “not going to go there yet.”
That’s when she went after “Bernie’s Army,” as his rabid supporters are sometimes called, suggesting that the whole cabal is sexist.
“I will say, however, that it’s not only him, it’s the culture around him,” Clinton said. “It’s his leadership team. It’s his prominent supporters. It’s his online Bernie Bros and their relentless attacks on lots of his competitors, particularly the women.”
She went on to say that Sanders “has permitted this culture — not only permitted, [he] seems to really be very much supporting it.”
Sanders responded to the ensuing firestorm by rising above the controversy.
The candidate said in a statement: “My focus today is on a monumental moment in American history: the impeachment trial of Donald Trump. Together, we are going to go forward and defeat the most dangerous president in American history.”
Bernie Sanders releases a statement on Hillary Clinton’s comments: “My focus today is on a monumental moment in American history: the impeachment trial of Donald Trump. Together, we are going to go forward and defeat the most dangerous president in American history.”
— Holly Otterbein (@hollyotterbein) January 21, 2020
Clinton’s remarks were clearly intended to persuade Democratic voters, and with Sanders having inched into the lead in Iowa in some polls, it adds credence to the idea that the dust-up last week between Sanders and Sen. Elizabeth Warren was little more than a set up.
Just days before CNN hosted last weeks debate, the network reported that Sanders allegedly told Sanders at a 2018 meeting at her home that a woman could not win in 2020.
Sanders denied the allegation and the issue came up during the debate — naturally –with the moderator clearly siding with Warren, who stood by the claim.
Clinton was asked about this and said that the sentiment is “untrue.”
Clinging to the fact that she won the popular vote in 2016, Clinton said: “I mean, I did get more votes both in the primary, by about 4 million, and in the general election, by about 3 million.”
Saying that candidates need to be held accountable, she accused Sanders of engaging in a “very personal attack” on Warren.
“That’s particularly true with what’s going on right now with the Bernie campaign having gone after Elizabeth with a very personal attack on her,” she said of being held accountable. “Then this argument about whether or not or when he did or didn’t say that a woman couldn’t be elected, it’s part of a pattern. If it were a one-off, you might say, “OK, fine.” But he said I was unqualified. I had a lot more experience than he did, and got a lot more done than he had, but that was his attack on me.”
Needless to say, the bad blood between Clinton and Sanders had social media users whipped into a frenzy:
I’ve defended #HillaryClinton for a lot of things, and I’m no Bernie obsessive, but saying you wouldn’t commit this instant to campaigning for and supporting Sanders against the evil clown if he’s the nominee is utterly fucking inexcusable. He did it for you, ingrate.
— ? JAGUARY 2020 ? (@ZeiglerJaguar) January 21, 2020
Hillary is a disgustingly bitter woman. I am a woman and it doesn’t make it sexist for me to say it. I makes me sad she has to keep inserting herself because she lost her power and wants to be relevant. Let’s make sure she’s not!! Volunteer and donate! https://t.co/MEEcn56pi8
— I am a woman for Bernie. I trust him. (@kburton40) January 21, 2020
Hillary Clinton lost to the dumbest & least qualified candidate of all time. Yet she has the audacity to refer to this election’s frontrunner as “unlikeable.”
Many PEOPLE – not DC politicos – love Bernie b/c of what he represents: US.
— Ana Kasparian (@AnaKasparian) January 21, 2020
NO, HILLARY CLINTON, NO.
I have diligently avoided attacking @HillaryClinton as I embraced #NotMeUs.
But this broadside against #Bernie is profoundly wrong. Especially since it echoes the erasure of his diverse coalition by pushing the “bro” narrative.https://t.co/JUoDI5c9SZ
— Peter Daou (@peterdaou) January 21, 2020
I have a lot of work to do today so I really can’t get sucked into this right now, but Hillary Clinton might be the least self-aware person on Earthhttps://t.co/kYamBwESvR
— Natalie Shure (@nataliesurely) January 21, 2020
“Over the first five days?’bernie sanders did 14 events for her.” – @maddow on sanders really “flooring” it for Hillary Clinton. https://t.co/qYTbZMSH9W
— Katie Halper (@kthalps) January 21, 2020
Hillary is more critical of Bernie than she is of Harvey Weinstein in this interview. Wild. https://t.co/nj9seE93pp
— Boston College is anti-LQBTQ+ (@Jamie_Maz) January 21, 2020
Idk who needs to hear this but when Hillary says “nobody likes” Bernie, she’s talking about her wealthy elite corporate friends. The owner class. He welcomes their hatred.
— Secular Talk (@KyleKulinski) January 21, 2020
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