Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders said he would use military action in certain situations and is open to meeting with adversaries if he’s elected president.
“Threats against the American people, to be sure. Threats against our allies. I believe in NATO,” the Vermont senator listed instances in which he would use military force to CBS’s 60 Minutes on Sunday. “I believe that the United States, everything being equal, should be working with other countries in alliance, not doing it alone.”
When asked if China taking military action against Taiwan would be one of those circumstances, Sanders said yes.
“That’s something, yeah,” Sanders said. “I mean, I think we have got to make it clear to countries around the world that we will not sit by and allow invasions to take place, absolutely.”
The 2020 Democratic presidential front-runner also said he would meet with adversaries of the U.S., as President Trump has done with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
“I mean I’ve criticized Trump for everything … under the sun,” the Vermont senator said. “But meeting with people who are antagonistic is, to me, not a bad thing to do. I think, unfortunately, Trump went into that [Kim] meeting unprepared. I think it was a photo opportunity and did not have the kind of the diplomatic work necessary to make it a success. But I do not have a problem with sitting down with adversaries all over the world.”
Sanders cemented his status as 2020 Democratic front-runner Saturday night after a sweeping win in the Nevada caucuses.
