Hillary Clinton has shifted to hitting Bernie Sanders on foreign policy, claiming that his proposals are implausible and would hurt the Democratic Party in a general election.
“His position is the very caricature that Republicans like to put forward of Democrats or Hillary Clinton,” Hillary for America communications director Brian Fallon said of Sanders’ foreign policy proposals on a press call Thursday afternoon.
The campaign highlighted Sanders’ Democratic debate pledge to “normalize” relations with Iran, whereas Clinton just offered to work on diplomacy with the nation.
“President Obama and Secretary Clinton are aligned on this issue and Senator Sanders is the outlier,” Hillary for America senior foreign policy adviser Jake Sullivan stated.
“Senator Sanders’ statements reflect a grave underestimation of Iran,” Fallon added. “But I think it would be a particularly hard position for a Democratic nominee to defend next fall … Republicans would love to have a debate with someone who wants warmer relations with a sponsor of terrorism.”
Sullivan also claimed that Sanders’ plans to support Iranian troops in Syria and create a military coalition with both Saudi Arabia and Iran “indicated a lack of seriousness.”
Earlier in the day Clinton said that Sanders “doesn’t talk much about foreign policy” but when he does it sounds as if he “hasn’t thought it through.”
Clinton has taken this line since recent polls have showed Sanders ahead in both Iowa and New Hampshire.
