SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) speaks to guests during a campaign stop at Berg Middle School on January 11, 2020 in Newton, Iowa. A recent poll has Sanders with a narrow lead in the state ahead of the 2020 Iowa Democratic caucuses being held on February 3. Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) was expected to campaign with Sanders at the event but was not able to attend because of weather. (Photo: Scott Olson/Getty Images)
"Let's Be Clear About Who Is Rigging What": Bernie Sanders Denounces Trump Effort to Divide Democrats
2020 candidate says only reason for impeachment trial is president's effort to "use the power of the federal government for his own political benefit."
Jan 16, 2020
After President Donald Trump earlier in the day accused Democrats in Congress of "rigging the election again against Bernie Sanders," the 2020 presidential candidate shot back Friday evening to say the president's effort to divide Democrats would be unsuccessful.
"Let's be clear about who is rigging what," Sanders said in a statement. "It is Donald Trump's action to use the power of the federal government for his own political benefit that is the cause of the impeachment trial. His transparent attempts to divide Democrats will not work, and we are going to unite to sweep him out of the White House in November."
In a tweet, Trump said it was "very unfair" to make Sanders stop campaigning in the week's prior to the first primary election, "but that's the way the Democrats play the game." In any event, Trump, "It's a lot of fun to watch."
While it's true that the impeachment trial against Trump in the Senate will keep Sanders--as well as Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.)--off the campaign trail in the crucial weeks ahead of the Iowa caucus on Feb. 3, Sanders told reporters in Washington, D.C. Thursday that while he would rather be talking to potential voters in key early states, "I swore a constitutional oath as a United States senator to do my job, and I'm here to do my job."
Sanders said that even with the importance of the trial before the Senate, "we cannot forget the very serious problems facing the American people."
"While we go forward with this impeachment trial," he added, "I hope the American people understand that we have not forgotten that in this country, outside of Washington, D.C., today, there are millions of people who are struggling economically, millions of people who cannot afford their prescription drugs or their health care."
An Urgent Message From Our Co-Founder
Dear Common Dreams reader, It’s been nearly 30 years since I co-founded Common Dreams with my late wife, Lina Newhouser. We had the radical notion that journalism should serve the public good, not corporate profits. It was clear to us from the outset what it would take to build such a project. No paid advertisements. No corporate sponsors. No millionaire publisher telling us what to think or do. Many people said we wouldn't last a year, but we proved those doubters wrong. Together with a tremendous team of journalists and dedicated staff, we built an independent media outlet free from the constraints of profits and corporate control. Our mission has always been simple: To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. Building Common Dreams was not easy. Our survival was never guaranteed. When you take on the most powerful forces—Wall Street greed, fossil fuel industry destruction, Big Tech lobbyists, and uber-rich oligarchs who have spent billions upon billions rigging the economy and democracy in their favor—the only bulwark you have is supporters who believe in your work. But here’s the urgent message from me today. It's never been this bad out there. And it's never been this hard to keep us going. At the very moment Common Dreams is most needed, the threats we face are intensifying. We need your support now more than ever. We don't accept corporate advertising and never will. We don't have a paywall because we don't think people should be blocked from critical news based on their ability to pay. Everything we do is funded by the donations of readers like you. When everyone does the little they can afford, we are strong. But if that support retreats or dries up, so do we. Will you donate now to make sure Common Dreams not only survives but thrives? —Craig Brown, Co-founder |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
After President Donald Trump earlier in the day accused Democrats in Congress of "rigging the election again against Bernie Sanders," the 2020 presidential candidate shot back Friday evening to say the president's effort to divide Democrats would be unsuccessful.
"Let's be clear about who is rigging what," Sanders said in a statement. "It is Donald Trump's action to use the power of the federal government for his own political benefit that is the cause of the impeachment trial. His transparent attempts to divide Democrats will not work, and we are going to unite to sweep him out of the White House in November."
In a tweet, Trump said it was "very unfair" to make Sanders stop campaigning in the week's prior to the first primary election, "but that's the way the Democrats play the game." In any event, Trump, "It's a lot of fun to watch."
While it's true that the impeachment trial against Trump in the Senate will keep Sanders--as well as Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.)--off the campaign trail in the crucial weeks ahead of the Iowa caucus on Feb. 3, Sanders told reporters in Washington, D.C. Thursday that while he would rather be talking to potential voters in key early states, "I swore a constitutional oath as a United States senator to do my job, and I'm here to do my job."
Sanders said that even with the importance of the trial before the Senate, "we cannot forget the very serious problems facing the American people."
"While we go forward with this impeachment trial," he added, "I hope the American people understand that we have not forgotten that in this country, outside of Washington, D.C., today, there are millions of people who are struggling economically, millions of people who cannot afford their prescription drugs or their health care."
After President Donald Trump earlier in the day accused Democrats in Congress of "rigging the election again against Bernie Sanders," the 2020 presidential candidate shot back Friday evening to say the president's effort to divide Democrats would be unsuccessful.
"Let's be clear about who is rigging what," Sanders said in a statement. "It is Donald Trump's action to use the power of the federal government for his own political benefit that is the cause of the impeachment trial. His transparent attempts to divide Democrats will not work, and we are going to unite to sweep him out of the White House in November."
In a tweet, Trump said it was "very unfair" to make Sanders stop campaigning in the week's prior to the first primary election, "but that's the way the Democrats play the game." In any event, Trump, "It's a lot of fun to watch."
While it's true that the impeachment trial against Trump in the Senate will keep Sanders--as well as Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.)--off the campaign trail in the crucial weeks ahead of the Iowa caucus on Feb. 3, Sanders told reporters in Washington, D.C. Thursday that while he would rather be talking to potential voters in key early states, "I swore a constitutional oath as a United States senator to do my job, and I'm here to do my job."
Sanders said that even with the importance of the trial before the Senate, "we cannot forget the very serious problems facing the American people."
"While we go forward with this impeachment trial," he added, "I hope the American people understand that we have not forgotten that in this country, outside of Washington, D.C., today, there are millions of people who are struggling economically, millions of people who cannot afford their prescription drugs or their health care."
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.