Democratic presidential hopeful former Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) said President Donald Trump Sanders: Trump “is the greatest threat to this country, in the modern history of this country” on Sunday’s broadcast of ABC’s “This Week.”
Partial transcript as follows:
SANDERS: It is my view that every Democratic candidate for president, no matter who wins this nominating process — clearly, I hope it’s me — we’re going to come together because we all understand that Donald Trump is the greatest threat to this country, in the modern history of this country. That he’s a fraud, that he’s a liar, that he’s undermining American democracy. We’re going go have Democrats coming together, but the trick is, which candidate can reach out and bring new people into the political process, who can create the excitement and energy for young people to come in? I think that’s our campaign.
STEPHANOPOULOS: “The New York Times” reported this week that President Obama has told associates that it could be difficult to unify the party if you’re the nominee?
SANDERS: I really don’t think so. Look, Trump is such a threat to our Constitution, to our way of life that while Democrats may have differences of opinion — yes, I have differences with Joe Biden, no great secret. Joe voted for the war in Iraq. Joe voted for a bad bankruptcy bill. Joe voted for bad trade agreements. But at end of the day, I have known Joe Biden for a very long time. He’s a decent guy. I have no doubt that if I win, Joe will be there. If Joe ends up winning, I will be there. We are going to come together — and President Obama, in my view, will play a leading role in helping whoever the Democratic nominee is. We are facing in Donald Trump somebody who is a pathological liar, running a corrupt administration, every Democrat and millions of independents and a number of Republicans understand we cannot have somebody like Trump win re-election.
STEPHANOPOULOS: The president seems to be going out of his way to help you. He had a tweet last night at 11:45 saying Democrats are working hard to destroy the name and reputation of crazy Bernie Sanders and take the nomination away from him. His allies in South Carolina were encouraging Republicans to go to polls in South Carolina and vote for you. What is that about and do you accept his help?
SANDERS: No, I don’t accept his help. I’m going to do everything I can to defeat Donald Trump. Look, Trump — you know, I got to tell you a story here which blows me away, shows what kind of person we have as president. In the midst of this coronavirus, a real threat to our country and the world, all over the world, governments are trying to figure out how they can deal with this crisis, you know where Donald Trump was the other day? He was in South Carolina trying to undermine the Democratic primary. He has no opposition in South Carolina. That’s why he was there. How pathetic it is that in the midst of an international healthcare crisis, you got a president running into South Carolina trying to steal some media attention away from Democrats.
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