CNN analyst: Republicans 'may regret' hoping Sanders wins nomination

Howard Dean, Jake Tapper, Mark McKinnon.

(Image credit: Screenshot/CNN)

last updated 24 February 2020

President Trump continues to ride the Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) bandwagon, but some analysts think he and his Republican supporters might want to think twice about what they're wishing for.

Trump on Sunday congratulated Sanders on his big win at the Nevada caucuses, which helped increase his lead in the Democratic presidential primary substantially, making him the frontrunner to take on Trump in the general election in November. The president said it remains to be seen if Sanders can hold on, but he just hopes the Democratic Party treats Sanders fairly, perhaps hinting that he believes there may be some sort of effort from more establishment Democrats to stop Sanders' victory from happening.

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There's also the notion out there that Trump and his supporters believe Sanders gives them the best shot at staying in the White House because the senator's more extreme ideological leanings will turn swing voters back to the GOP. But CNN political commentator Mark McKinnon, who worked for former President George W. Bush, believes Republicans may be too sure of themselves, especially because Sanders is able to rile up passion in his supporters in a fashion similar to Trump himself. Tim O'Donnell

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Tim is a staff writer at The Week and has contributed to Bedford and Bowery and The New York Transatlantic. He is a graduate of Occidental College and NYU's journalism school. Tim enjoys writing about baseball, Europe, and extinct megafauna. He lives in New York City.

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