Warren calls online attacks from Sanders' supporters 'a real problem'


Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) made it clear on Thursday night that she believes political candidates must take responsibility for "people who claim to be our supporters," especially when they say "threatening, ugly, dangerous things."
During an interview with MSNBC's Rachel Maddow, Warren's first since announcing her exit from the 2020 presidential race, she was asked about Sen. Bernie Sanders' (I-Vt.) supporters tweeting derogatory messages and snake emojis at her and her backers. "It's not just about me," Warren responded. "I think that's a real problem with this online bullying and sort of organized nastiness."
Warren said she talked to Sanders about the matter, and it was a "short" conversation. Maddow asked if Sanders shares her "view that he's responsible for the behavior of his supporters," and Warren replied, "I shouldn't speak for him. It's something he should speak for himself on." Sanders appeared on Maddow's show Wednesday night, and said there's no need for "ugly personal attacks against Sen. Warren, or anyone else for that matter."
Subscribe to 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.
In politics, people do pick sides and will disagree on policy, but "what underlies that is a fundamental human decency and respect for each other," Warren said. She decried those who threaten others and their families, and said Democrats cannot "follow that same kind of politics of division that Donald Trump follows. He draws strength from tearing people apart, from demonizing people. ... It's not who I want to be as a Democrat. It's not who I want to be as an American."
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
-
A cool Canadian city break in Toronto
The Week Recommends With its world class galleries, restaurants and nearby hiking trails, Toronto makes a great alternative to New York
-
Today's Big Question Failed asylum seekers could be removed to Balkan nations under new government plans
-
The history of animal metaphors in propaganda
The Explainer Rats, snakes and cockroaches among the imagery used to dehumanise political enemies and minority groups
-
Gabbard fires intelligence chiefs after Venezuela report
speed read Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard has fired the top two officials leading the National Intelligence Council
-
Trump vows to lift Syria sanctions
speed read The move would help the new government stabilize the country following years of civil war
-
Senate rejects Trump's Library of Congress takeover
speed read Congress resisted the president's attempts to control 'the legislative branch's premier research body'
-
Hamas frees US hostage in deal sidelining Israel
speed read Edan Alexander, a 21-year-old soldier, was the final living US citizen held by the militant group
-
White Afrikaners land in US as Trump-declared refugees
speed read An exception was made to Trump's near-total ban on admitting refugees for the white South Africans
-
Qatar luxury jet gift clouds Trump trip to Mideast
speed read Qatar is said to be presenting Trump with a $400 million plane, which would be among the biggest foreign gifts ever received by the US government
-
Trump taps Fox News' Pirro for DC attorney post
speed read The president has named Fox News host Jeanine Pirro to be the top federal prosecutor for Washington, replacing acting US Attorney Ed Martin
-
Trump, UK's Starmer outline first post-tariff deal
speed read President Donald Trump and British Prime Minister Kier Starmer struck a 'historic' agreement to eliminate some of the former's imposed tariffs