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."

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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."