Senator Bernie Sanders, who is mounting another run through the Democratic Primary, has urged his followers to play nice with his Democratic opponents. However, when it comes to Republican President Donald Trump, Sanders is taking the gloves off.
In a stinging email attack, Sanders claimed “the president we are running against is a pathological liar, a racist, a xenophobe, a sexist, a bully and a religious bigot. His goal is to win political points by dividing up the American people.”
Yet Sanders went on to urge unity. Whereas the president divides, in Sanders words, he will unite people of all colors and orientation. Sanders also said that he condemned bullying and urged his supporters to be respectful of other Democrats.
In the past, Sanders supporters have been accused of taking things too far. At the 2016 Democratic Convention, many “Berniecrats” booed Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton. Some chanted Sanders name. The outpouring came despite pleading from Sanders himself for unity and support.
Sanders says his number one priority is to see Trump defeated. And to accomplish that, Sanders claims Democrats will have to field a united front. While Democrats may be divided into opposing camps throughout 2019 and into 2020, they’ll have to unite ahead of the 2020 Presidential election.
Sanders enters a crowded primary field. And while Sanders was the only bona fide major Progressive candidate in 2016, the 2020 field promises to be far more competitive. Elizabeth Warren, who shares a similar progressive outlook, is building a competitive campaign. Even more mainstream politicians, such as Kamala Harris, have expressed support for Progressive policies. This time around, Sanders will face stiffer competition. Don’t be surprised if extreme opposition to President Trump becomes a backbone of his campaign.