Sanders stands to leave interview after 'nonsense' question about possible Ocasio-Cortez Senate bid
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) stood to leave an interview this weekend when asked about the possibility of Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) launching a campaign for the Senate.
Sanders heaped praise on the House progressive but declined to engage in “nonsense” questions about Senate tensions.
“Would you like to see her join you in the Senate?” ABC News’s Jonathan Karl asked Sanders, referring to Ocasio-Cortez.
“Right now, we have, as I said, just a whole lot of people in the Congress,” Sanders responded.
He then stood up to leave, adding, “OK, Jonathan, thanks.”
Karl called after Sanders, trying to get him to stay for another question: “Wait. I got one more. I got one more. This is important.”
“Well, I ask you, you know, you want to do nonsense? Do nonsense,” Sanders replied.
“No,” Karl said.
“I don't want to talk about inside-the-Beltway stuff,” Sanders added.
Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez traveled through Western states last week to rally progressives against Trump’s agenda, dubbing their speeches the “Fighting Oligarchy” tour. The tour has reportedly attracted tens of thousands of attendees.
Karl noted he asked the question about the 35-year-old progressive since they have been working together on the tour. Sanders, earlier in the interview, also praised Ocasio-Cortez as “extraordinary,” saying, “I am so impressed by her work in Congress and her, just, she inspires young people all over the country.”
“You know, fine, but I don’t want to talk about this,” Sanders said, when Karl pressed.
Sanders then asked for Karl’s final question and sat back down in his seat. Karl asked about Sanders's own political future and whether he would run again for president.
“Right now, I am very proud that the people in the state of Vermont sent me back to the Senate with 63 percent. Right now, I’m Vermont’s senator. That's what I do, and I'm very happy to do it,” Sanders said.
“I am 83 years of age,” he added, “and I'm tired.”
Ocasio-Cortez has been an outspoken critic of Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), especially after he voted to advance a GOP-written bill to keep the government open. Her outspoken criticism has renewed talk of whether she might try to primary the New York senator when he’s up for reelection in a few years.
-
Sanders, Ocasio-Cortez hold 'Fight the Oligarchy' rally in Las Vegas
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., and Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., brought their "Fighting Oligarchy" Tour to Las Vegas, N.V., where they spoke about the lack of current Democratic leadership ...NBC News - 4d -
Sanders: Tour with Ocasio-Cortez meant to encourage more independent candidates
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) said in a Thursday report from The New York Times that his tour with Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) is meant to encourage more independent candidates to run. ...The Hill - 5d -
Watch live: Sanders, Ocasio-Cortez begin 'Fighting Oligarchy' tour
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) are set to hold their first joint rally in Las Vegas Thursday afternoon, as the duo protest moves by the Trump administration ...The Hill - 5d -
Ocasio-Cortez, Sanders take aim at Musk in first joint rally
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) focused their criticism on Elon Musk in their first joint rally in a tour the two are going on this week. The progressive ...The Hill - 4d -
Watch live: Sanders, Ocasio-Cortez take 'Fight Oligarchy' tour to Denver
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) are in Denver on Friday, holding a rally in protest of President Trump's policies that they argue favor the rich. The event ...The Hill - 3d -
Watch live: Sanders, Ocasio-Cortez rail against Trump policies at Tucson rally
The next stop on Sen. Bernie Sanders's (I-Vt.) "Fighting Oligarchy" tour: Tucson, Ariz. Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) are pairing up again on Saturday afternoon to rally ...The Hill - 3d -
Bernie Sanders, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and the courage to brawl for the working class
The Vermont senator and the New York representative are rallying huge crowds with a message to reshape the Democratic party. Bernie Sanders is not running for president. But he is drawing larger ...The Guardian - 2d -
Crockett on possibly supporting Ocasio-Cortez over Schumer: US may not even 'have elections' by then
Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas) on Sunday did not address directly whether she would support Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) in a hypothetical primary challenge against Senate Minority ...The Hill - Mar. 17 -
Senate Democrat questions what Sanders, Ocasio-Cortez have 'actually done'
Michigan Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D) revealed some of her frustration with progressives who are criticizing mainstream Democrats for not doing enough to oppose President Trump during a fiery town hall ...The Hill - 4d
More from The Hill
-
Supreme Court weighs which courts can hear Clean Air Act disputes
The Supreme Court appears poised to keep at least some Clean Air Act disputes in federal courts outside of DC — preventing what at least one justice described as “home court advantage” for the ...The Hill - 27m -
Meeting with House panel, OPM officials cut short after clash between top lawmakers
A closed-door meeting between members of a House subcommittee and officials from the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) was cut short on Tuesday after the top two lawmakers on the panel clashed ...The Hill - 34m -
Social Security chief: DOGE access to systems revoked after court order
Leland Dudek, acting commissioner for the Social Security Administration (SSA), said as of Monday the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) no longer has access to the agency’s systems in an ...The Hill - 39m -
White House digs in as furor grows over war plans chat
Presented by National Council on Aging — Plus: Putin gifts Trump portrait {beacon} White House digs in as furor grows over breach PRESIDENT TRUMP IS SIGNALING the White House will stand by its ...The Hill - 42m -
Boebert suggests GOP could rename DC 'District of America'
Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) urged lawmakers to stop making fun of President Trump's decision to rename the Gulf of America, suggesting the nation’s capital could undergo the same change. “I ...The Hill - 45m
More in Politics
-
Supreme Court weighs which courts can hear Clean Air Act disputes
The Supreme Court appears poised to keep at least some Clean Air Act disputes in federal courts outside of DC — preventing what at least one justice described as “home court advantage” for the ...The Hill - 27m -
Meeting with House panel, OPM officials cut short after clash between top lawmakers
A closed-door meeting between members of a House subcommittee and officials from the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) was cut short on Tuesday after the top two lawmakers on the panel clashed ...The Hill - 34m -
Social Security chief: DOGE access to systems revoked after court order
Leland Dudek, acting commissioner for the Social Security Administration (SSA), said as of Monday the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) no longer has access to the agency’s systems in an ...The Hill - 39m -
White House will make sure Signal group chat incident never happens again, says top GOP lawmaker
House Majority Whip Rep. Tom Emmer (R-Minn.) joined Meet the Press NOW to discuss the group chat in which members of the Trump administration discussed plans to launch airstrikes against Houthi ...NBC News - 42m -
White House digs in as furor grows over war plans chat
Presented by National Council on Aging — Plus: Putin gifts Trump portrait {beacon} White House digs in as furor grows over breach PRESIDENT TRUMP IS SIGNALING the White House will stand by its ...The Hill - 42m