Two-time presidential candidate Senator Bernie Sanders predicted a “tough” election campaign, but said Vice President Kamala Harris “has a very good chance of winning the presidential election.”
“She will certainly win the majority of the popular vote by a margin of millions of votes, and I think she has a great chance of winning many of the swing states,” Sanders told “This Week” co-host Jon Karl on Sunday. “I think people are fed up with Trump’s constant and blatant lies, and I think no matter what people think of Kamala Harris, they want stability in the White House.”
The interview took place just days after the conclusion of a lively Democratic convention in which the party highlighted “freedom” as its main message for the election campaign.
When asked about Harris’ comments in her acceptance speech about securing the country’s military strength, Sanders warned against increased spending.
“The United States currently spends more on defense than the next 10 countries combined,” he said. “I agree with the vice president. We want the strongest defense in the world, but I think enough is enough. Defense contractors’ profits are rising rapidly, and I think we can have the strongest defense in the world without spending a trillion dollars a year.”
Sanders said Harris should focus her messages on the economy and the well-being of voters.
“We have more income and wealth inequality than ever before in the history of this country,” he said. “That’s why I think it’s important that we put an end to the embarrassment of having the highest child poverty rate of any major country in the world.”
Karl also asked Sanders whether it was a mistake on Harris’ part not to give the Uncommitted movement a platform at the convention. Pro-Palestinian protesters and activists from the Uncommitted movement had repeatedly asked to speak during the Democratic convention, but party officials denied their request.
Sanders has been one of the leaders on Capitol Hill calling for a change in U.S. policy toward Israel as the war against Hamas in Gaza continues for 11 months. He has also spoken out openly against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
“I believe we should not give a cent more to Netanyahu’s far-right government,” he said. “They certainly had the right to defend themselves against the cruel attack of Hamas. They never had the right and do not have the right to go to war against the entire Palestinian people, killing 40,000 people, injuring 80,000 and destroying the health system, the education system and the civil infrastructure.”
He added: “American taxpayers’ money should not be used to starve children in Gaza.”
Karl then asked Sanders about the country’s immigration problems and how Harris’ views on the southern border have changed.
“When Harris ran against you and others for the Democratic nomination in 2020, she said she was for decriminalizing illegal border crossings. She even implied she was for abolishing Immigration and Customs Enforcement,” Karl said.
“We have a crisis at the border. We need to make sure that no fentanyl comes into this country. We need to crack down on illegal immigration,” Sanders replied. “But we need comprehensive immigration reform. And I suspect that’s exactly what the vice president supports.”
Republicans have attacked Harris by linking her to the high number of migrant encounters and detentions at the U.S.-Mexico border during President Joe Biden’s administration. Harris has tried to counter that by highlighting her time as a prosecutor and her support for the failed bipartisan border reform bill. Harris previously supported decriminalizing illegal border crossings and said she believes the “mission of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement … is very questionable and needs to be reviewed.”
ABC News’ Fritz Farrow, Will McDuffie and Gabriella Abdul-Hakim contributed to this report.
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