Warren campaign tells supporters to seek 'de-escalation' in feud with Sanders

Sen. Elizabeth Warren's (D-Mass.) campaign is reportedly seeking "de-escalation" with Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) after the beginnings of a feud appeared to flare up.

A CNN report Monday alleged that Sanders in a private meeting with Warren in 2018 argued a woman couldn't win the 2020 presidential election, citing four anonymous sources. Sanders called the report "ludicrous," while his campaign manager called it a "lie." But Warren subsequently made the accusation on the record, saying, "I thought a woman could win; he disagreed."

Roughly five minutes after Warren put out this statement confirming the CNN report, BuzzFeed News reports a Warren campaign official told a group of supporters in a Twitter chat that now, "our goal is de-escalation and focusing on our shared goals."

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This campaign official reportedly followed up Tuesday to warn supporters to "be careful with the 'sexism' angle," arguing that "that's not what this is about" and that if reporters begin asking Warren "if she thinks Bernie is sexist," that would be "really bad news for us."

"No one here is actually claiming Bernie himself is sexist (regardless of your own personal beliefs on that topic)," the staffer reportedly wrote. "Claiming you're worried a woman can't win/flagging that she'll receive sexist attacks is something many, many people feel."

Sanders said he did express in the meeting his belief that President Trump "is a sexist, a racist, and a liar who would weaponize whatever he could" in 2020.

Despite this campaign official's reported wishes, Warren can surely expect a question about her exchange with Sanders during Tuesday's Democratic debate, which is set for 9 p.m. ET on CNN.