Arizona Sen. John McCain said Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders must have been “consuming” marijuana when he said climate change is the nation’s top national security threat.
The Vermont independent, citing the Department of Defense and the Central Intelligence Agency, has said multiple times on the campaign trail that he believes climate change is the country’s top national security threat. He made the remark during October’s first Democratic presidential primary debate, and during Saturday’s debate said climate change is exacerbating terrorism.
McCain, talking to reporters Tuesday, was not impressed by the remarks.
“There’s a ballot initiative in Arizona concerning a substance he must’ve been consuming,” McCain said with a slight smile.
McCain was alluding to a ballot initiative in Arizona that will allow voters to decide on whether marijuana should be legal in their state.
Sanders’ remarks were widely seen as a mistake given the Friday terror attacks in Paris in which 129 people were killed. Sanders, in his opening statement, promised to wipe out the Islamic State before pivoting to his stump speech on campaign finance and economic equality.
Sanders has made climate change one of the top talking points of his campaign and often vilifies Republicans on the trail by saying they deny climate change is taking place.
Many scientists blame the greenhouse gases emitted from the burning of fossil fuels for causing climate change and the warming of the planet.
