Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders campaigning together in 2016. (Photo: Jewel Samad/AFP/Getty Images)
'Inexcusable': Hillary Clinton, Who Lost to Trump in 2016, Won't Commit to Helping Bernie Sanders Win in 2020
Former secretary of state claims "nobody likes" Vermont senator, currently a leading presidential Democratic candidate and the most popular elected politician in the country.
Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter released Tuesday that she would not commit to endorse or support Sen. Bernie Sanders should he win the Democratic nomination later this year and stood by comments in a forthcoming Hulu documentary that "nobody likes" the Vermont senator.
Progressives were unimpressed with the remarks by Clinton, whose general election loss in 2016 delivered the White House to President Donald Trump.
"Hillary Clinton didn't run for the presidency to benefit anyone but herself," tweeted writer Natalie Shure, "so it makes sense she'd prioritize personal score-settling over siding with Bernie against Trump."
The former secretary of state's comments in the documentary reportedly target Sanders for harsh personal criticism.
"Nobody likes him, nobody wants to work with him, he got nothing done," Clinton claims. "He was a career politician."
"It's all just baloney and I feel so bad that people got sucked into it," she adds, apparently referring to the Sanders movement.
Sanders is the most popular senator in the country among his constituents and has an average national favorability rating seven points higher than Clinton, whose popularity continues to decline.
In the interview with THR published Tuesday, Clinton confirmed that assessment of her 2016 primary contest rival and said she was "not going to go there yet" on supporting Sanders should he be the nominee.
"This is inexcusable," said Pod Save America cohost Tommy Vietor. "If Bernie wins the nomination, we all need to work our asses off to help him win."
Outline correspondent Shuja Haider noted the gravity of Clinton's comments.
"Hillary Clinton declines to say she will endorse the 2020 Democratic nominee if it is not one of her preferred candidates," said Haider.
Clinton--who some political observers believe narrowly lost to Trump in 2016 due in large part to a refusal down the stretch to go to Wisconsin, western Pennsylvania, and Michigan--trained her fire on Sanders despite the Vermont senator's tireless campaigning on her behalf leading up to the general election.
That support netted Sanders a personal thank you letter from Clinton after her loss to Trump, though the former secretary of state's team have nonetheless falsely claimed in recent months that Sanders did next to nothing to help the 2016 campaign.
CNN political analyst Chris Cillizza argued Clinton's attack was actually "great news for" Sanders:
Sanders is running this 2020 presidential campaign (as he did the 2016 campaign) on a simple premise: the powerful have been sitting comfortably for way too long and it's time to shake things up. Sanders was vilifying the elites and the political establishment (of both parties) long before Donald Trump even started considering running for president.
This is who Sanders is; it's who he has always been. It's at the core of why people support him and why he has been able to build a movement around his back-to-back presidential candidacies.
Guess who, for lots and lots of Sanders supporters (and even other Democrats who don't support him) epitomizes that elite establishment? The Clintons!
While the Sanders campaign had yet to respond to Clinton's comments, Cillizza recommended Sanders should send her "a thank you note for the well-timed attack."
Jewish Currents news editor David Klion tweeted that the interview was another indication of the lasting legacy of Clinton and her husband, Bill Clinton, the 43rd president.
"Start to finish, one of the most selfish, petty, nihilistic, counterproductive careers in American political history," said Klion. "Every time they open their mouths it makes things worse. History will not remember the Clintons fondly."
Sanders campaign officials urged supporters to channel their frustration with Clinton into sometthing positive.
"Don't get mad on the Internet," tweeted Bhavik Lathia, deputy national distributed organizaing director for the Sanders campaign. "Talk to real voters in key states."
Kelly Hayes, a journalist with TruthOut, warned Sanders supporters to expect more attacks as primary voters begin casting ballots and caucusing.
"We will see establishment figures continually emerge to try to take him out," said Hayes. "This is just the beginning."
We are at a crossroads
This country and this world are at a monumental crossroads. In a few short weeks, US voters will have an opportunity to beat back the forces of fascism and confront the billionaires who are rigging the economy, our media system, and our democracy, making it increasingly impossible for ordinary people to get by. We’re not just talking about the election. We’re talking about what must be done once these fascist elements are vanquished from power. We need a bolder set of solutions than what either major party has so far been willing to offer and a working-class movement ready to fight like hell for it. Trump didn't emerge from nowhere. The conditions that fueled MAGA authoritarianism were created by decades of radical neoliberal economic policies and a corrupt political system dominated by corporate interests. They slashed taxes on the super-rich, promising that the benefits would trickle down. They said giveaways to the corporate titans would make life more affordable for the rest of us. It was all bullshit. And when a bitter, betrayed populace searches for someone to blame, right-wing demagogues have little trouble finding scapegoats. People know when they're being lied to, but you won't hear any of this from the corporate media. Only independent journalism—powered and funded by people who believe in building a better world—can deliver truly trustworthy daily news. Our Fall Campaign is underway, and we need your help. To power our newsroom through the rest of the year, we need to raise $125,000 by midnight on October 31. So if you share our vision, please contribute whatever you can to sustain our work. |
Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter released Tuesday that she would not commit to endorse or support Sen. Bernie Sanders should he win the Democratic nomination later this year and stood by comments in a forthcoming Hulu documentary that "nobody likes" the Vermont senator.
Progressives were unimpressed with the remarks by Clinton, whose general election loss in 2016 delivered the White House to President Donald Trump.
"Hillary Clinton didn't run for the presidency to benefit anyone but herself," tweeted writer Natalie Shure, "so it makes sense she'd prioritize personal score-settling over siding with Bernie against Trump."
The former secretary of state's comments in the documentary reportedly target Sanders for harsh personal criticism.
"Nobody likes him, nobody wants to work with him, he got nothing done," Clinton claims. "He was a career politician."
"It's all just baloney and I feel so bad that people got sucked into it," she adds, apparently referring to the Sanders movement.
Sanders is the most popular senator in the country among his constituents and has an average national favorability rating seven points higher than Clinton, whose popularity continues to decline.
In the interview with THR published Tuesday, Clinton confirmed that assessment of her 2016 primary contest rival and said she was "not going to go there yet" on supporting Sanders should he be the nominee.
"This is inexcusable," said Pod Save America cohost Tommy Vietor. "If Bernie wins the nomination, we all need to work our asses off to help him win."
Outline correspondent Shuja Haider noted the gravity of Clinton's comments.
"Hillary Clinton declines to say she will endorse the 2020 Democratic nominee if it is not one of her preferred candidates," said Haider.
Clinton--who some political observers believe narrowly lost to Trump in 2016 due in large part to a refusal down the stretch to go to Wisconsin, western Pennsylvania, and Michigan--trained her fire on Sanders despite the Vermont senator's tireless campaigning on her behalf leading up to the general election.
That support netted Sanders a personal thank you letter from Clinton after her loss to Trump, though the former secretary of state's team have nonetheless falsely claimed in recent months that Sanders did next to nothing to help the 2016 campaign.
CNN political analyst Chris Cillizza argued Clinton's attack was actually "great news for" Sanders:
Sanders is running this 2020 presidential campaign (as he did the 2016 campaign) on a simple premise: the powerful have been sitting comfortably for way too long and it's time to shake things up. Sanders was vilifying the elites and the political establishment (of both parties) long before Donald Trump even started considering running for president.
This is who Sanders is; it's who he has always been. It's at the core of why people support him and why he has been able to build a movement around his back-to-back presidential candidacies.
Guess who, for lots and lots of Sanders supporters (and even other Democrats who don't support him) epitomizes that elite establishment? The Clintons!
While the Sanders campaign had yet to respond to Clinton's comments, Cillizza recommended Sanders should send her "a thank you note for the well-timed attack."
Jewish Currents news editor David Klion tweeted that the interview was another indication of the lasting legacy of Clinton and her husband, Bill Clinton, the 43rd president.
"Start to finish, one of the most selfish, petty, nihilistic, counterproductive careers in American political history," said Klion. "Every time they open their mouths it makes things worse. History will not remember the Clintons fondly."
Sanders campaign officials urged supporters to channel their frustration with Clinton into sometthing positive.
"Don't get mad on the Internet," tweeted Bhavik Lathia, deputy national distributed organizaing director for the Sanders campaign. "Talk to real voters in key states."
Kelly Hayes, a journalist with TruthOut, warned Sanders supporters to expect more attacks as primary voters begin casting ballots and caucusing.
"We will see establishment figures continually emerge to try to take him out," said Hayes. "This is just the beginning."
Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter released Tuesday that she would not commit to endorse or support Sen. Bernie Sanders should he win the Democratic nomination later this year and stood by comments in a forthcoming Hulu documentary that "nobody likes" the Vermont senator.
Progressives were unimpressed with the remarks by Clinton, whose general election loss in 2016 delivered the White House to President Donald Trump.
"Hillary Clinton didn't run for the presidency to benefit anyone but herself," tweeted writer Natalie Shure, "so it makes sense she'd prioritize personal score-settling over siding with Bernie against Trump."
The former secretary of state's comments in the documentary reportedly target Sanders for harsh personal criticism.
"Nobody likes him, nobody wants to work with him, he got nothing done," Clinton claims. "He was a career politician."
"It's all just baloney and I feel so bad that people got sucked into it," she adds, apparently referring to the Sanders movement.
Sanders is the most popular senator in the country among his constituents and has an average national favorability rating seven points higher than Clinton, whose popularity continues to decline.
In the interview with THR published Tuesday, Clinton confirmed that assessment of her 2016 primary contest rival and said she was "not going to go there yet" on supporting Sanders should he be the nominee.
"This is inexcusable," said Pod Save America cohost Tommy Vietor. "If Bernie wins the nomination, we all need to work our asses off to help him win."
Outline correspondent Shuja Haider noted the gravity of Clinton's comments.
"Hillary Clinton declines to say she will endorse the 2020 Democratic nominee if it is not one of her preferred candidates," said Haider.
Clinton--who some political observers believe narrowly lost to Trump in 2016 due in large part to a refusal down the stretch to go to Wisconsin, western Pennsylvania, and Michigan--trained her fire on Sanders despite the Vermont senator's tireless campaigning on her behalf leading up to the general election.
That support netted Sanders a personal thank you letter from Clinton after her loss to Trump, though the former secretary of state's team have nonetheless falsely claimed in recent months that Sanders did next to nothing to help the 2016 campaign.
CNN political analyst Chris Cillizza argued Clinton's attack was actually "great news for" Sanders:
Sanders is running this 2020 presidential campaign (as he did the 2016 campaign) on a simple premise: the powerful have been sitting comfortably for way too long and it's time to shake things up. Sanders was vilifying the elites and the political establishment (of both parties) long before Donald Trump even started considering running for president.
This is who Sanders is; it's who he has always been. It's at the core of why people support him and why he has been able to build a movement around his back-to-back presidential candidacies.
Guess who, for lots and lots of Sanders supporters (and even other Democrats who don't support him) epitomizes that elite establishment? The Clintons!
While the Sanders campaign had yet to respond to Clinton's comments, Cillizza recommended Sanders should send her "a thank you note for the well-timed attack."
Jewish Currents news editor David Klion tweeted that the interview was another indication of the lasting legacy of Clinton and her husband, Bill Clinton, the 43rd president.
"Start to finish, one of the most selfish, petty, nihilistic, counterproductive careers in American political history," said Klion. "Every time they open their mouths it makes things worse. History will not remember the Clintons fondly."
Sanders campaign officials urged supporters to channel their frustration with Clinton into sometthing positive.
"Don't get mad on the Internet," tweeted Bhavik Lathia, deputy national distributed organizaing director for the Sanders campaign. "Talk to real voters in key states."
Kelly Hayes, a journalist with TruthOut, warned Sanders supporters to expect more attacks as primary voters begin casting ballots and caucusing.
"We will see establishment figures continually emerge to try to take him out," said Hayes. "This is just the beginning."