Sen. Bernie Sanders called on President Trump to change his policies in response to Saturday’s women’s march, in which hundreds of thousands of people in several different cities protested some of the new administration’s policies.
“Listen to the needs of women. Listen to the needs of the immigrant community,” Sanders said during an appearance on CBS’ “Face the Nation.” “Modify your positions.”
Sanders dismissed the anti-establishment rhetoric Trump included in his inaugural address, accusing Trump of embracing the very system he has long criticized.
“I found it somewhat amusing that President Trump was punching the establishment but right behind him … were billionaire after billionaire after billionaire,” Sanders said.
The Vermont progressive cautioned Trump against gutting Obamacare and other programs that have helped many of the same people who voted for him.
Sanders, an independent, echoed the Democratic argument against changing the healthcare law, suggesting that Obamacare most significantly benefits communities that support Trump.
“If Mr. Trump is serious about standing up for working families, then he’s not going to throw 20 million people off of health insurance,” Sanders said.
But Sanders suggested there were some areas where he could envision Democrats working with the new president.
For example, Sanders acknowledged that Trump is “right” when it comes to the need to spend more on an overhaul of the nation’s infrastructure.
And he agreed with Trump on trade too.
“We also understand that our trade policies are a disaster,” Sanders said of himself and Trump.
