Senator Bernie Sanders has strongly criticized former Vice President Kamala Harris’s presidential campaign, arguing it was overly influenced by wealthy donors and failed to champion a specific, robust agenda for the working class.
During an interview on CNN’s “State of the Union,” Sanders was asked about a recent speech in which he said Harris lost the election because “she had too many billionaires telling her not to speak up for the working class of this country.”
“I like Kamala. She’s a friend of mine,” Sanders told host Dana Bash, “but her core consultants were heavily influenced by very wealthy people.”
He questioned the campaign’s direction, asking, “How do you run for president and not develop a strong agenda which speaks to the economic crises facing working families? You have more income and wealth inequality today than we have ever had. You have 60% of our people living paycheck to paycheck. You have got a health care system which is broken and dysfunctional.”
When Bash suggested that Harris had campaigned on “affordability,” Sanders began to characterize her efforts as “vague” before cutting himself off, saying, “I don’t want to rehash that campaign.”
Instead, Sanders outlined what he believes is a winning strategy for Democrats. “The clue to Democratic victories is to understand that you have got to stand unequivocally with the working class of this country,” he said. He advocated for policies such as universal healthcare and raising the minimum wage to $17 an hour, questioning why such ideas are not more central to the party’s platform.
Sanders also dismissed claims that his progressive agenda is unappealing to a majority of Americans. He argued that public disillusionment is not with the policies themselves but with a government seen as “too bureaucratic and not responsive.”
The critique comes as Harris has announced she will not run for governor of California, a decision that leaves open the possibility of a 2028 presidential run. She also recently revealed plans to release a book titled “107 Days,” chronicling her unsuccessful campaign.
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