Bernie Sanders said Sunday that rival Hillary Clinton would create bigger problems for Democrats than he would as the nominee for president.
“Hillary Clinton will be the problem,” the Vermont senator said Sunday on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” one day before the Iowa caucuses in which he and Clinton are running in a near dead heat.
“Our campaign is the campaign that is generating excitement and energy that will result in a high voter turnout,” Sanders argued. “Republicans win when voter turnout is low. Democrats win when turnout is high.”
When asked pressed, Sanders suggested Clinton’s vulnerablity results in part from reports that the personal email server she used as secretary of state hosted top secret emails.
Sanders raised the email issue in a separate appearance Sunday on ABC’s “This Week with George Stephanopoulos,” when he was asked if he would get slapped with a “socialist” label in the general election due to his identification as a democratic socialist.
“Look at the front pages in terms of what Secretary Clinton is getting slapped with,” Sanders said.
Appearing on CNN as well, Sanders said he has not argued Clinton did nothing wrong in handling her email.
“This is a very serious issue,” Sanders said. “I think there is a legal process right now taking place.”
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., recently said the party is not runing on middle class tax increases. Sanders’ single-payer healthcare plan includes increased taxes on the middle class, though he says those Americans would save money overall under the plan.
Asked about Pelosi’s comment, Sanders suggested voters care more about income inequality and the role of corporate contributions in campaign finance.
“The next president must be extremely aggressive about bringing more people in the political process” to counter corporate interests, he said.
Sanders dismissed claims by Clinton that he undermine President Obama’s achievements.
“I think President Obama’s done a fantastic job,” Sanders said.
Sanders argued the next president will face tougher challenges. He said that’s why he calls for a “political revolution.”
