Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) admitted during an appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert on Thursday that he will use a private jet in order to travel back and forth between the Senate impeachment trial in D.C. and early voting states — a move that stands in stark contrast to his firm position on combating climate change.
“Word is, we have heard reports — and I would like to find out if you can confirm these — that in order to sit for the Senate trial and campaign in Iowa, you’re going to be using private jets at night,” Colbert said, referencing reports indicating Sanders’ purported plans to increase his private jet usage during the Senate impeachment trial.
“Probably one jet,” Sanders clarified.
“Multiple rides in a private jet,” Colbert said.
“Yes, yes,” Sanders confirmed.
The Senate impeachment trial could begin as early as next week, leaving many presidential hopefuls — who are also senators — in difficult positions, given the upcoming elections in Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada, and South Carolina.
Sanders’ plan stands in stark contrast to one of the most primary messages of his campaign: Combating climate change. He is a staunch supporter of the Green New Deal, which openly lamented air travel in the Q&A portion of its outline. He also proposed his own $16 trillion Green New Deal, has called climate change a “national emergency,” and has argued that those who do not believe in the left’s climate change narrative should not serve in Congress. He also called climate change the “greatest threat to our national security.”
“We don’t have decades. What the scientists are telling us — if we don’t get our act together within the next eight or nine years, we’re talking about cities all over the world — major cities — going underwater,” Sanders said during the Democrat debate in November.
The socialist senator seemed open to the idea of sharing a private jet with other presidential hopefuls who find themselves in the same predicament, citing the cost but, notably, not the impact on the environment.
“Are you going to give rides to the other candidates who are in the Senate?” Colbert asked.
“Actually, we have used jets previously, and that was an idea we thought of. Those are expensive so we thought we’d all chip in and ride together,” Sanders said, ultimately conceding that he does not know if the idea will come to fruition.
“That’s greener. That’s greener, sir,” Colbert noted.
“Maybe we can all chip in, get one plane, and come back,” Sanders said.
This is not the first time the Democrat presidential hopefuls who have embraced private air travel.
As Breitbart News detailed:
Sanders, who spent $360,000 on private air travel in the third quarter of 2019, would hardly be the first self-described climate concerned candidate to increase his carbon footprint and embrace private air travel for convenience. Former Vice President Joe Biden (D), Sen Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), and former Mayor Pete Buttigieg (D) have spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on private air travel as well. The former vice president spent nearly $1 million over a three-month span alone last year, as Breitbart News detailed.
Meanwhile, Warren has claimed that she fights climate change by “mostly” flying commercial.
The presidential hopefuls also came under fire after participating in the Polk County Democrats Steak Fry in September, which featured over 10,000 steaks. Their participation coincided with some of the candidates signaling an openness to limit beef consumption in order to prevent what they consider the looming threat.
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