Donald Trump says he's 'very similar' to Bernie Sanders
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
You are now subscribed
Your newsletter sign-up was successful
Donald Trump got tripped up by a description of Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) at a Wednesday night town hall in Charleston, South Carolina when he mistook the Democratic presidential candidate's defining traits for his own.
"The candidate is considered a political outsider by all the pundits. He's tapping into the anger of the voters, delivers a populist message. He believes everyone in the country should have healthcare," Mika Brzezinski, moderator and co-host of MSNBC's Morning Joe, said to Trump. "He advocates for hedge fund managers to pay higher taxes. He's drawing thousands of people at his rallies and bringing in a lot of new voters to the political process, and he's not beholden to any super PAC. Who am I describing?"
"Or of any special interests or any donors," Trump added. "You're describing Donald Trump."
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
"Actually," Brzezinski replied, "I was describing Bernie Sanders."
"Oh, that's good," Trump replied, before conceding that he and Sanders actually do have some things in common. "There's one thing we're very similar on: He knows that our country is being ripped off big-league — big-league — on trade."
Trump was quick to emphasize the differences between him and the socialist senator, however. "The problem is he can't do anything about it," Trump said. "He doesn't understand what's happening."
Watch the full exchange below. Becca Stanek
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
How Democrats are turning DOJ lemons into partisan lemonadeTODAY’S BIG QUESTION As the Trump administration continues to try — and fail — at indicting its political enemies, Democratic lawmakers have begun seizing the moment for themselves
-
ICE’s new targets post-Minnesota retreatIn the Spotlight Several cities are reportedly on ICE’s list for immigration crackdowns
-
‘Those rights don’t exist to protect criminals’Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Judge blocks Hegseth from punishing Kelly over videoSpeed Read Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth pushed for the senator to be demoted over a video in which he reminds military officials they should refuse illegal orders
-
Trump’s EPA kills legal basis for federal climate policySpeed Read The government’s authority to regulate several planet-warming pollutants has been repealed
-
House votes to end Trump’s Canada tariffsSpeed Read Six Republicans joined with Democrats to repeal the president’s tariffs
-
Bondi, Democrats clash over Epstein in hearingSpeed Read Attorney General Pam Bondi ignored survivors of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and demanded that Democrats apologize to Trump
-
El Paso airspace closure tied to FAA-Pentagon standoffSpeed Read The closure in the Texas border city stemmed from disagreements between the Federal Aviation Administration and Pentagon officials over drone-related tests
-
Judge blocks Trump suit for Michigan voter rollsSpeed Read A Trump-appointed federal judge rejected the administration’s demand for voters’ personal data
-
US to send 200 troops to Nigeria to train armySpeed Read Trump has accused the West African government of failing to protect Christians from terrorist attacks
-
Grand jury rejects charging 6 Democrats for ‘orders’ videoSpeed Read The jury refused to indict Democratic lawmakers for a video in which they urged military members to resist illegal orders