Supporters of U.S. President Donald Trump supporters are not racist "deplorables" and Hillary Clinton and the Democratic Party are to blame for November's convincing election defeat. This was the clear statement of Clinton’s defeated primary challenger Sen. Bernie Sanders during a rally in Boston last 31 March.
In a comment seized upon by the Trump campaign, Clinton famously said in September that half of Trump's supporters were "deplorables,' a comment which she almost immediately said she regretted.
Appearing alongside Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Sanders said that to simply write off Trump supporters was to fail to understand the issues affecting them—and the Democratic Party.
"Some people think the people who voted for Trump are racists, sexist and homophobes, just deplorable folks," he said. "I don’t agree, because I've been there. Let us understand what's going on."
Even before losing the primary to Clinton last year, Sanders, an independent, has been a frequent critic of the Democratic Party establishment, claiming that it had become too accommodating of Wall Street and has lost touch with the U.S. working class. It was a theme he returned to during the sold-out event organized by his "Our Revolution" group.
"When we are competing against a right-wing extremist party who has an agenda that most Americans soundly and roundly disagree with, how in God’s name do they win elections?" he said. "And the reason is, in my view, is that the time is well overdue for fundamental restructuring of the Democratic Party."
In a comment seized upon by the Trump campaign, Clinton famously said in September that half of Trump's supporters were "deplorables,' a comment which she almost immediately said she regretted.
Appearing alongside Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Sanders said that to simply write off Trump supporters was to fail to understand the issues affecting them—and the Democratic Party.
"Some people think the people who voted for Trump are racists, sexist and homophobes, just deplorable folks," he said. "I don’t agree, because I've been there. Let us understand what's going on."
Even before losing the primary to Clinton last year, Sanders, an independent, has been a frequent critic of the Democratic Party establishment, claiming that it had become too accommodating of Wall Street and has lost touch with the U.S. working class. It was a theme he returned to during the sold-out event organized by his "Our Revolution" group.
"When we are competing against a right-wing extremist party who has an agenda that most Americans soundly and roundly disagree with, how in God’s name do they win elections?" he said. "And the reason is, in my view, is that the time is well overdue for fundamental restructuring of the Democratic Party."