Sanders Answers Critics With The Case For Democratic Socialism
WASHINGTON ' Sen. Bernie Sanders on Wednesday mounted a strong defense of democratic socialism, the economic philosophy that has guided his political career, even as Republicans and some of his Democratic presidential opponents have seized on it to brand him as too radical.
Sanders' speech, coming two weeks before the first debates of the Democratic primary season, is his most aggressive attempt yet to reframe the conversation about his political views.
"Let me be clear: I do understand that I and other progressives will face massive attacks from those who attempt to use the word 'socialism' as a slur," Sanders said. "But I should also tell you that I have faced and overcome these attacks for decades, and I am not the only one."
Sanders, an independent senator from Vermont, made a similar attempt in 2015 to explain the views that have shaped his ideology but have also become a significant political vulnerability.
But this year, the speech comes in a reshaped political environment where Sanders is no longer the sole progressive taking on an establishment candidate. And they're operating in an environment dominated by President Donald Trump, who has called Sanders "crazy."
During Wednesday's speech at George Washington University, Sanders said Trump "believes in corporate socialism for the rich and powerful," while he believes in "a democratic socialism that works for the working families of this country."
Sanders is fond of noting that many of his Democratic rivals now back policies he has championed, such as "Medicare for all," that were seen as too costly and too liberal in previous elections. But few of the other Democrats seeking the White House share his support for democratic socialism.
Former Vice President Joe Biden has derided the notion that politicians must be socialists to be progressive.
Other liberal candidates, including Sens. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Kamala Harris of California, have noted that while they have problems with the economic system, they remain capitalists.
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Trump bristled Wednesday at reports that his re-election campaign's internal polling shows him trailing Biden in several key states and claimed without evidence that those polls show him leading in every state his campaign has surveyed.
"We have great internal polling," Trump said. "We are winning in every single state that we polled."
Recent public polling has shown Trump trailing the former vice president by as much as double digits in some battleground states, including Michigan and Pennsylvania. And a Quinnipiac poll this week showed Trump trailing six 2020 Democratic hopefuls in national matchups.
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Also Wednesday, Trump said that if a foreign power offered dirt on his 2020 opponent, he'd be open to accepting it and that he'd have no obligation to inform the FBI.
"I think I'd want to hear it," Trump said in an interview with ABC News, adding, "There's nothing wrong with listening."
The role of Trump's eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., in organizing a 2016 meeting with a Russian lawyer offering negative information on Hillary Clinton was a focus of special counsel Robert Mueller's probe of Russian meddling in the last election.
Trump's comments came just a month after he pledged not to use information stolen by foreign adversaries in his 2020 re-election campaign.
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Democratic presidential candidate Julian Castro said Wednesday that he'll push for national standards on when police can use deadly force and will seek to restrict immunity that protects officers from civil lawsuits. The former housing secretary and San Antonio mayor touted his plans for police reform to a mostly Latino audience in Phoenix.
Officers have a difficult job and many do it well, Castro said, "but I don't think enough attention is paid to the many times that especially black and brown people in our country are mistreated by police."
Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., speaks at George Washington University in Washington, Wednesday, June 12, 2019, on his policy of democratic socialism, the economic philosophy that has guided his political career. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)
Andrew Harnik
Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., speaks at George Washington University in Washington, Wednesday, June 12, 2019, on his policy of democratic socialism, the economic philosophy that has guided his political career. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)
Andrew Harnik
Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., pauses while speaking at George Washington University in Washington, Wednesday, June 12, 2019, on his policy of democratic socialism, the economic philosophy that has guided his political career. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)
Andrew Harnik
Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., pauses while speaking at George Washington University in Washington, Wednesday, June 12, 2019, on his policy of democratic socialism, the economic philosophy that has guided his political career. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)
Andrew Harnik
Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., pauses while speaking at George Washington University in Washington, Wednesday, June 12, 2019, on his policy of democratic socialism, the economic philosophy that has guided his political career. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)
Andrew Harnik
Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., pauses while speaking at George Washington University in Washington, Wednesday, June 12, 2019, on his policy of democratic socialism, the economic philosophy that has guided his political career. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)
Andrew Harnik
Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., departs after speaking at George Washington University in Washington, Wednesday, June 12, 2019, on his policy of democratic socialism, the economic philosophy that has guided his political career. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)
Andrew Harnik
Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., departs after speaking at George Washington University in Washington, Wednesday, June 12, 2019, on his policy of democratic socialism, the economic philosophy that has guided his political career. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)
Andrew Harnik
Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., speaks at George Washington University in Washington, Wednesday, June 12, 2019, on his policy of democratic socialism, the economic philosophy that has guided his political career. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)
Andrew Harnik
Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., speaks at George Washington University in Washington, Wednesday, June 12, 2019, on his policy of democratic socialism, the economic philosophy that has guided his political career. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)
Andrew Harnik
Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., departs after speaking at George Washington University in Washington, Wednesday, June 12, 2019, on his policy of democratic socialism, the economic philosophy that has guided his political career. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)
Andrew Harnik
Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., departs after speaking at George Washington University in Washington, Wednesday, June 12, 2019, on his policy of democratic socialism, the economic philosophy that has guided his political career. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)
Andrew Harnik
Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., speaks at George Washington University in Washington, Wednesday, June 12, 2019, on his policy of democratic socialism, the economic philosophy that has guided his political career. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)
Andrew Harnik
Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., speaks at George Washington University in Washington, Wednesday, June 12, 2019, on his policy of democratic socialism, the economic philosophy that has guided his political career. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)
Andrew Harnik
Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., arrives to speak at George Washington University in Washington, Wednesday, June 12, 2019, on his policy of democratic socialism, the economic philosophy that has guided his political career. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)
Andrew Harnik
Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., arrives to speak at George Washington University in Washington, Wednesday, June 12, 2019, on his policy of democratic socialism, the economic philosophy that has guided his political career. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)
Andrew Harnik
Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., pauses while speaking at George Washington University in Washington, Wednesday, June 12, 2019, on his policy of democratic socialism, the economic philosophy that has guided his political career. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)
Andrew Harnik
Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., pauses while speaking at George Washington University in Washington, Wednesday, June 12, 2019, on his policy of democratic socialism, the economic philosophy that has guided his political career. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)
Andrew Harnik
Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., speaks at George Washington University in Washington, Wednesday, June 12, 2019, on his policy of democratic socialism, the economic philosophy that has guided his political career. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)
Andrew Harnik
Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., speaks at George Washington University in Washington, Wednesday, June 12, 2019, on his policy of democratic socialism, the economic philosophy that has guided his political career. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)
Andrew Harnik
Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., arrives to speak at George Washington University in Washington, Wednesday, June 12, 2019, on his policy of democratic socialism, the economic philosophy that has guided his political career. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)
Andrew Harnik
Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., arrives to speak at George Washington University in Washington, Wednesday, June 12, 2019, on his policy of democratic socialism, the economic philosophy that has guided his political career. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)
Andrew Harnik
Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., pauses while speaking at George Washington University in Washington, Wednesday, June 12, 2019, on his policy of democratic socialism, the economic philosophy that has guided his political career. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)
Andrew Harnik
Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., pauses while speaking at George Washington University in Washington, Wednesday, June 12, 2019, on his policy of democratic socialism, the economic philosophy that has guided his political career. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)
Andrew Harnik
Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., arrives to speak at George Washington University in Washington, Wednesday, June 12, 2019, on his policy of democratic socialism, the economic philosophy that has guided his political career. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)
Andrew Harnik
Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., arrives to speak at George Washington University in Washington, Wednesday, June 12, 2019, on his policy of democratic socialism, the economic philosophy that has guided his political career. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)
Andrew Harnik
Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., arrives to speak at George Washington University in Washington, Wednesday, June 12, 2019, on his policy of democratic socialism, the economic philosophy that has guided his political career. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)
Andrew Harnik
Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., arrives to speak at George Washington University in Washington, Wednesday, June 12, 2019, on his policy of democratic socialism, the economic philosophy that has guided his political career. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)
Andrew Harnik
Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., speaks at George Washington University in Washington, Wednesday, June 12, 2019, on his policy of democratic socialism, the economic philosophy that has guided his political career. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)
Andrew Harnik
Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., speaks at George Washington University in Washington, Wednesday, June 12, 2019, on his policy of democratic socialism, the economic philosophy that has guided his political career. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)
Andrew Harnik
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