Bernie Sanders bristled at a question during Sunday night’s Democratic debate about government’s ability to address the Flint water crisis.
CNN moderator Anderson Cooper asked the Vermont senator, “Why should people from Flint trust that more government is the answer?” Sanders responded with a mocking reply and a pivot to his favorite campaign punching bag. The full exchange:
Cooper: This crisis in Flint, as you know, as everybody in this room knows, was created by the government. Your policies are about expanding government. Why should people from Flint trust that more government is the answer? Sanders: Well, that’s a good point, Anderson. I suppose they could trust the corporations who have destroyed Flint by a disastrous trade policy, which have allowed them to shut down plants in Flint and move to China and Mexico. We could trust them, I’m sure. Or maybe, Anderson, maybe we should let Wall Street come in and run the city of Flint, because we know their honesty and integrity has done so much for the American people. Look, we live in a democracy. And I’m the last person to deny that government is failing in many respects. But at the end of the day, I will trust the people to create a government that works for them, rather than Wall Street or corporate America.
The institution of government has been criticized for failing Flint, from the local level all the way to federal oversight from the Environmental Protection Agency.
