Sen. Bernie Sanders' (I-Vt.) announcement that he is running for president has already earned a response from President Trump's 2020 campaign.
A statement from the campaign's press secretary, Kayleigh McEnany, says that Sanders has "already won" the debate in the Democratic primaries because "every candidate is embracing his brand of socialism." It goes on to characterize him as being in favor of "sky-high tax rates, government-run health care, and coddling dictators like those in Venezuela" and says that "only President Trump will keep America free, prosperous, and safe."
This pushback is notable in part because, as CNN's Kaitlan Collins reports, this is only the second time the Trump campaign has released a statement in response to a Democratic candidate jumping into the 2020 race. The first was released ahead of Sen. Elizabeth Warren's (D-Mass) announcement, with a statement at the time similarly saying she's in favor of "socialist ideas." Both statements end with almost the exact same sentence, with the Warren one reading, "Only under President Trump's leadership will America continue to grow safer, secure, and more prosperous."
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.
2020 announcements from candidates like Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) and Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) didn't garner statements from the Trump campaign, although Trump did tweet about the latter, saying that in her speech she "looked like a Snowman(woman)!"
-
Nepal chooses toddler as its new ‘living goddess’Under the Radar Girls between two and four are typically chosen to live inside the temple as the Kumari – until puberty strikes
-
October 5 editorial cartoonsCartoons Sunday's political cartoons include half-truth hucksters, Capitol lockdown, and more
-
Jaguar Land Rover’s cyber bailoutTalking Point Should the government do more to protect business from the ‘cyber shockwave’?
-
Museum head ousted after Trump sword gift denialSpeed Read Todd Arrington, who led the Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum, denied the Trump administration a sword from the collection as a gift for King Charles
-
Trump declares ‘armed conflict’ with drug cartelsspeed read This provides a legal justification for recent lethal military strikes on three alleged drug trafficking boats
-
Supreme Court rules for Fed’s Cook in Trump feudSpeed Read Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook can remain in her role following Trump’s attempts to oust her
-
Judge rules Trump illegally targeted Gaza protestersSpeed Read The Trump administration’s push to arrest and deport international students for supporting Palestine is deemed illegal
-
Trump: US cities should be military ‘training grounds’Speed Read In a hastily assembled summit, Trump said he wants the military to fight the ‘enemy within’ the US
-
US government shuts down amid health care standoffSpeed Read Democrats said they won’t vote for a deal that doesn’t renew Affordable Care Act health care subsidies
-
YouTube to pay Trump $22M over Jan. 6 expulsionSpeed Read The president accused the company of censorship following the suspension of accounts post-Capitol riot
-
Oregon sues to stop Trump military deploymentSpeed Read The president wants to send the National Guard into Portland
