Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) on Sunday weighed in on the Maine Senate race on NBC’s Meet the Press with Kristen Welker, where he doubled down on support for ex-Senate nominee Graham Platner and became frustrated when asked if he regrets endorsing him.
Sanders was first asked about Platner’s unelected replacement, Troy Jackson, whom the Democratic Party swapped in as the nominee after Platner was pressured by the party to drop out of the race last month.
While noting that he was “not involved in that process at all,” he said he’s known Jackson for years and described him as a “working-class voice” who shares his socialist ideas.
“I have seen his platform. It is a strong platform, standing up for working families, taking on the oligarchs, fighting for Medicare for all,” Sanders said. “Maine, like Vermont, is an older state. He understands that we have to make sure that we do not cut Social Security benefits. In fact, expand Social Security benefits by demanding the wealthy starting to pay their fair share of taxes.”
Sanders further said he would endorse Jackson if he is asked to.
Sanders was then asked to respond to Senator John Fetterman (D-PA), who suggested that Democrats should be “frustrated” with Sanders, calling him out recently for being “proud to stand with an accused rapist, a guy that roughs up his ex-girlfriends, a guy that had a Nazi tattoo on his chest.”
“My response to Fetterman is: last time I saw it, he was reflecting the views about 19% of the Democrats in the state of Pennsylvania,” Sanders said. “I think probably lower than any other member of the Democratic Senate. Fetterman does his thing. I think on Israel and many other issues is way out of touch with the people of America.”
When pressed on his support for Platner amid the growing scandals and allegations against him, Sanders cut host Kristen Welker off and began raising his voice and defending himself.
“There were very serious allegations against Platner. As a result of those accusations, I and virtually all of his supporters requested that he withdraw from the race, and he did. Very serious allegations, and he withdrew from the race,” Sanders said without disavowing or condemning Platner.
Welker fired back, “You, in fact, said there are no saints in the United States Senate before those most serious allegations came out. Do you regret endorsing Graham Platner in the first place, Senator?”
After refusing to answer the question, saying, “A woman made very serious allegations against him. He withdrew from the race. Period,” Welker pressed again, and Bernie nearly lost it.
“Okay, that’s, you know,” Bernie stammered, “I think right now we’re looking at a campaign in Michigan. We’re looking at a campaign in Minnesota.”
He continued, “The people of this country right now are sick and tired of establishment politics and establishment policies. They want change, and I and other progressives are going to do everything that we can to bring about those changes.”
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