Bernie Sanders Nearly Walks Out When Pressed on AOC Joining the Senate

Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) nearly walked out a nationally televised interview this weekend when pressed on whether he supports Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) making a move to the Senate.

During an appearance on ABC’s This Week, co-anchor Jonathan Karl broached the question after Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez appeared together at a Denver rally. “Would you like to see her join you in the Senate?” Karl asked.

Sanders, clearly irritated, responded tersely “Right now we have… just a whole lot of people in the Congress. OK, Jonathan, thanks.”

The senator abruptly stood up, signaling he was ready to end the interview entirely. As Karl tried to ask another question, Sanders dismissed the line of inquiry as "nonsense," refusing to entertain the topic further.

Though Sanders eventually returned to his seat after assurances from Karl, the exchange exposed a growing unease within the Democrat Party, already reeling from low approval ratings and a leadership crisis under Chuck Schumer. Ocasio-Cortez has been floated as a possible challenger to Schumer after his recent capitulation on a GOP-backed spending bill, though she has yet to confirm her intentions.

Interestingly, just moments before the blow-up, Sanders heaped praise on AOC, calling her “extraordinary” and highlighting her ability to inspire young voters. But when pressed on whether he'd support her ascent to the Senate, Sanders stonewalled suggesting discomfort with the infighting plaguing the Democrat ranks.

Beyond his dodging on AOC, Sanders didn’t hold back criticism for his own caucus, bluntly admitting “Senate Democrats did virtually nothing for working people” when they held power.

In a rare moment of honesty, Sanders even acknowledged Trump’s successes, conceding that the former president’s efforts to strengthen the border and crack down on fentanyl were steps in the right direction. He further noted that “nobody thinks illegal immigration is appropriate,” undercutting the open-border rhetoric many in his party have embraced.

Key takeaways:

• Sanders dodged endorsing Ocasio-Cortez for Senate, signaling fractures within the Democrat Party.

• Democrat leadership is under fire, with Schumer facing internal backlash and plummeting approval ratings.

• Sanders conceded Trump’s policies on border security and fentanyl as effective an admission rarely heard from the left.

As 2024 shapes up to be a defining year, the Democrats' internal discord and lack of unified leadership are becoming more apparent. Their inability to present a coherent vision stands in stark contrast to Trump’s growing momentum and America First policies.

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