Bernie Sanders still believes climate change is the greatest threat to national security, links it to the growth of terrorism

Bernie Sanders links terrorism to climate change.
(Image credit: YouTube/Talking Points Memo)

At the Democratic debate on Saturday, Bernie Sanders defended his claim that climate change is the gravest security threat to the United States, tying it directly to the threat of terrorism.

"In fact, climate change is directly related to the growth of terrorism. And if we do not get our act together and listen to what the scientists say, you're going to see countries all over the world — this is what the CIA says — they're going to be struggling over limited amounts of water, limited amounts of land to grow their crops, and you're going to see all kinds of international conflict," Sanders said.

But while he still "absolutely" defends that climate change is the greatest threat to national security, Sanders added that, "of course international terrorism is a major issue we have got to address today."

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Jeva Lange

Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.