Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., will win the democratic nomination and then win the White House, according to Sen. Bernie Sanders.
“We are gonna win New Hampshire, we’re gonna win Iowa, and I think we’re gonna win the democratic nomination, and I think we’re going to win the presidency,” Sanders said in a Sunday interview with ABC News’ George Stephanopoulos.
Sanders trails democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton, who is the clear leader among Democrats seeking the White House in 2016. But Sanders has made some strides by saying the next president needs to fight for income inequality — a potent issue against Clinton given her wealth.
Sanders told ABC News that Americans are “sick and tired of seeing the disappearance of the great middle class of this country.” Sanders said that 99 percent of the income generated is currently going to the top 1 percent, and that top one-tenth of the top 1 percent owns nearly as much wealth as the bottom 90 percent.
“We have seen in the last 30 years a massive shift of wealth and income from ordinary Americans to the very richest people in this country, and the American people are saying, ‘enough is enough,’ Sanders said. “We need to create an economy that works for all of us and not just a handful of billionaires.”
Sanders noted that while his state is not known for its gun control laws, he has voted for “strong” gun control legislation in Congress “time and time and time again.”
“We can’t have people demagoguing against folks just because they go out and hunt, and they own guns,” he said. “On the other hand, rural America has got to understand that guns in Vermont are not the same thing as guns in Chicago where they are used to kill kids or shoot at police officers.”
In a Wall Street Journal and NBC News poll, Clinton was favored by 91 percent of non-white voters, while Sanders won just 3 percent of that group. Sanders responded to that poll result by saying he has been a civil rights activist for years and needs to share that with minority voters.
“I have a long history in fighting for civil rights. I understand that many people in the African-American community may not understand that,” he said.
He said the way to help the black youth is to make all public colleges and universities free, raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour, and create “millions of jobs by rebuilding our infrastructure.” He said he intended to make a “major outreach effort” to Hispanic and black communities.
Stephanopoulos then noted that Sanders would be the oldest president, at 75 years old, if elected. He responded that he is lucky to be in such good health and has not taken a day off due to illness in years.
“Well, why don’t you follow me around this weekend in New Hampshire where we are doing seven separate events,” Sanders said.
