Sen. Bernie Sanders spoke out again against President Biden’s stance on the Israel-Hamas war, signaling that he understood why some voters were frustrated with the president.
But Sanders emphasized that defeating former President Trump was more important than searching for a perfect candidate.
“[T]his election is not between Joe Biden and God,” Sanders told AP News. “It is between Joe Biden and Donald Trump.”
BERNIE SANDERS WARNS BIDEN’S SUPPORT FOR ISRAEL MAY SINK HIS PRESIDENCY AND BECOME HIS ‘VIETNAM’
Less than one week ago, Sanders told CNN that Biden’s support for Israel may wreck his re-election chances, especially with young voters.
“This may be Biden’s Vietnam,” Sanders said of the mass student protests against Biden. “I worry very much that President Biden is putting himself in a position where he has alienated not just young people, but a lot of the Democratic base in terms of his views on Israel and this war.”
Sanders reiterated in his interview with Politico that Democratic voters are displeased with Biden.
“I understand that a lot of people in this country are less than enthusiastic about Biden for a number of reasons and I get that,” the senator said. “And I strongly disagree with him, especially on what’s going on in Gaza,” Sanders said.
But the senator from Vermont explained that politics requires “maturity” in dealing with controversial issues.
“You have to have a certain maturity when you deal with politics and that is yes, you can disagree with somebody,” he said. “That doesn’t mean you can vote for somebody else who could be the most dangerous person in American history, or not vote and allow that other guy to win.”
Nina Turner, a political activist and national co-chair of Sanders’ presidential campaign in 2020, said that the Biden camp was facing difficulties.
“This campaign is in trouble. And Sen. Sanders will do everything — again, everything — that he can to try to pull this man over the finish line,” Turner said. “I’m not so sure it’s going to work this time.”
Sanders himself revealed advice that he had given to Biden for his campaign.
“What I’ve said to the White House is, it’s not good enough simply to talk about Donald Trump,” Sanders told AP. “It’s not good enough to talk about your accomplishments, which I have. You got to have a bold agenda for the future.”
Sanders and Biden have enjoyed a close relationship for many years, according to some political advisors.
“I know he felt that while there was a lot of hostility within the Democratic Party and in the top ranks … he felt warmth and positivity from Joe Biden,” Faiz Shakir, an advisor to Biden, said.
Fox News Digital reached out to the Biden campaign for comment but has yet to receive a response.
