Sanders clashes with Republican student over Schumer at CNN town hall
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Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., was frustrated with a Republican town hall attendee Wednesday after a question about Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer’s leadership during the government shutdown.
Sanders at CNN town hall with Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y. He discussed the ongoing government shutdown with . One of the questions during the event came from American University student Republican Rohan Naval, who asked Sanders how he thought the shutdown reflected Schumer’s leadership.
“Well, I think it’s more reflective of Mike Johnson’s leadership and President Trump’s leadership,” Sanders said. “This is a leadership that says it’s okay to give… well, how do you feel? You tell me. Do you think it’s a good idea to give the richest people in the country a $1 trillion tax cut and then make massive cuts to health care for the working class?”
CHUCK SCHUMER REMEMBERED GOP CLAIMS THAT DEMOCRATS WANT TO PROVIDE HEALTH CARE TO ILLEGALS AS A ‘LITTLE LIE’
Bernie Sanders answered a question from American University student Rohan Naval at the CNN town hall event. (Screenshot from CNN)
“I think Chuck Schumer has voted to continue the resolutions 13 times in the last four years, and he has a chance to vote again, but he refuses to come to the table,” Naval said.
“I think…look, like I said, there are 53 Republicans in the Senate, right?” Sanders took notice. “They need 60. What does that mean? It means you have to talk to the other side. Mike Johnson isn’t talking. John Thune isn’t talking. President Trump isn’t talking. That’s the problem.”
MIKE JOHNSON SCREAMS ABOUT DEMS, SAYS THE PARTY IS ‘PLAYING POLITICS’ WITH AMERICANS’ LIVES AS THE SHUTDOWN CONTINUES
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-Y., (left) and Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., (right) attend a CNN town hall event on Wednesday. (Aude Guerrucci/Reuters)
Republicans blamed Schumer for the shutdown, saying it was intended to appease the progressive wing of the Democratic Party. He came under fire from the White House last week for claiming things were “getting better” for Democrats during the shutdown.
“It gets better every day for us,” Schumer told Punchbowl News. “Because we thought about it well in advance and knew that our focus on September 30th would be health care, and we prepared for that… Their whole theory was: Threaten us, deceive us, and we’ll surrender in a day or two.”
TRUMP STRENGTHENING SHUTDOWN RIGHTS, BUT LEADERLESS DEMOCRATS JUMP UP WITH HEALTH MESSAGE
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, DY, and Senate Democrats are still holding firm to their position that they will not provide votes to reopen the government unless they reach an agreement on extending the Obamacare tax credits. (Nathan Posner/Anatolia via Getty Images)
“Chuck Schumer just said the quiet part out loud: Democrats are gleefully inflicting pain on the American people through their efforts to provide free healthcare to illegal aliens,” White House deputy press secretary Abigail Jackson said in an exclusive statement to Fox News Digital. he said.
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Fox News’ Rachel Wolf, Preston Mizell and Diana Stancy contributed to this report.
