Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., said Thursday that Donald Trump’s victory is an “embarrassment” for the Democratic Party.
“It is an embarrassment, I think, to the entire of Democratic Party that millions of white working-class people decided to vote for Mr. Trump, which suggests that the Democratic message of standing up for working people no longer holds much sway among workers in this country,” the socialist senator told the Associated Press.
He declined to criticize Hillary Clinton directly, but did blame her loss Tuesday on Democrats’ “lack of enthusiasm.”
“People just did not come out to vote,” he said. Sanders said Democrats were unable to make the case that Clinton, rather than Trump, was the best advocate for struggling Rust Belt workers.
“You cannot be a party which on one hand says we’re in favor of working people, we’re in favor of the needs of young people but we don’t quite have the courage to take on Wall Street and the billionaire class. People do not believe that. You’ve got to decide which side you’re on,” he said.
Sanders didn’t eliminate the possibility of running once again for president in the interview, but emphasized his main focus right now is rebuilding a progressive base in the wake of a dismaying Republican win.
“Four years is a long time from now,” said Sanders, mentioning he will face re-election for the Senate in 2018. “We’ll take one thing at a time, but I’m not ruling out anything.”
The socialist senator said he would be happy to work with the Trump administration, but didn’t express confidence that such efforts would be fruitful.
“I hope I’m wrong, but I believe that he is a fraud, and I think despite all of his rhetoric about being a champion of the working class, it will turn out to be hollow,” Sanders said of Trump.
