Sen. Bernard Sanders on Sunday said President Trump was a “racist” because of his rhetoric about illegal immigration, as the 2020 Democratic hopeful made a forceful appeal to Hispanic voters.
“I think President Trump, and I say this without any joy in my heart, I think he is a racist,” the Vermont democratic socialist said on “Noticias Telemundo,: a news show on the Spanish-language network Telemundo.
Mr. Sanders said the foundation of Mr. Trump’s 2016 campaign was built on a racist anti-immigrant message and he could have beaten him then if he had been the Democratic nominee.
Mr. Sanders lost the 2016 primary race to establishment favorite Hillary Clinton. In 2020, he faces a similar challenge from another establishment favorite, former Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr.
“I think the things that [Mr. Trump’s] been saying about the Latino community from way back when … the people from Mexico, whether they’re rapists and they’re criminals. You remember all of that stuff. It’s disgusting,” Mr. Sanders said. “If I won the nomination, I would have defeated Donald Trump.”
He has challenged the argument that Mr. Biden is uniquely suited to attract Rust-Belt voters needed to defeat Mr. Trump in 2020, and Mr. Sanders hammered home that message for the Hispanic audience.
“We need a candidate who can really defeat Trump. And all of the polling out there has me defeating Trump, especially in battleground states like Wisconsin, Michigan, Pennsylvania and others,” he said.
• S.A. Miller can be reached at smiller@washingtontimes.com.
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