Bernie Sanders didn’t seem to want to talk to NBC News’ Danny Freeman about the chaotic Nevada Democratic Convention held last Saturday. Sanders wasn’t there, but his supporters were accused of provoking fights, booing speakers who expressed support for Hillary Clinton, making death threats to party leaders, and writing threatening messages in chalk on the outside of the Democratic Party’s state headquarters the following day.
The moment right before @BernieSanders walks away from @DannyEFreeman Q https://t.co/eKOzXD037R pic.twitter.com/0we9E4mZ7l
— Andrew Rafferty (@AndrewRafferty) May 17, 2016
Bernie Sanders Abruptly Ends Interview After Reporter Asks About Nevada Chaos https://t.co/0SzC97vZcQ pic.twitter.com/LXNKrPFAnY
— Mediaite (@Mediaite) May 17, 2016
Instead, Sanders issued a lengthy written statement Tuesday afternoon in which he countered party leaders who accused his supporters of having a “penchant for violence” and laid out his case against them in a set of bullet points, accusing the party of using its power “to prevent a fair and transparent process from taking place.”
The Sanders campaign was most likely provoked by a statement released by the Nevada State Democratic Party, which included many bullet points of its own but boiled down the convention results to “simple math,” with the numbers not in Sanders’ favor.
While plenty are still feeling the Bern of frustration as Clinton seems to run away with the nomination while Sanders continues to win state after state in the popular vote, many thought the candidate’s statement was defiant, empathizing with the frustration of his supporters rather than condemning their behavior last weekend.
This from Sanders is pathetic. Death threats from his supporters against the NV Dem Chair & he has nothing to say: https://t.co/VSWJDnxciV
— Michael Cohen (@speechboy71) May 17, 2016
What did you expect? This is a candidate who has the enthusiastic support of a group called the “Raging Grannies.” That’s hardcore.
Sanders statement should have led with condemnation of violence. And it didn't. https://t.co/E7qTas8I9v
— Greg Sargent (@ThePlumLineGS) May 17, 2016
https://twitter.com/inflammatorywrt/status/732664481940131840
OMG! Sanders' statement is just another "we're not the establishment" statement & offers no condemnation of behavior https://t.co/EWY6NGxhtJ
— Lois Newton (@ikerepublican) May 17, 2016
The first two paragraphs of the Sanders statement sympathizes with and legitimizes harassment and death threats. Deeply, deeply, troubled.
— ?Dante Atkins? (@DanteAtkins) May 17, 2016
Wow. This Sanders statement is escalating things, not calming them down. Yikes.
— Joan Walsh (@joanwalsh) May 17, 2016
https://twitter.com/aseitzwald/status/732645755014553601
1.) Screw up.
2.) Blame DNC or others.
3.) Gin up outrage and fundraise from it.Waiting for 3.) to happen now. https://t.co/ZHd3EvZ4kl
— Leesa Brown (@ReasonVsFear) May 17, 2016
Sanders' statement on NV is pathetic and unbelievably insulting.
— ⚜️Jac WhoDat Kamara⚜️ (@jacbrubaker) May 17, 2016
Everything about this Sanders statement is incredibly offensive to millions of people who voted for Hillary Clinton pic.twitter.com/XHmw1UJKhZ
— Michael Cohen (@speechboy71) May 17, 2016
Some are hearing a dog whistle as well, when Sanders claims that there has been zero violence at his rallies, even those he was brave enough to hold in high-crime areas.
I almost want an annotated reading of Sanders' statement. Like, the part about how they've held rallies in high crime areas?
— Sara Lang (@SaraLang) May 17, 2016
Odd for @BernieSanders to note his rallies in “high-crime areas.” How that relates to what his supporters are doing in Nevada, who knows.
— Jamil Smith (@JamilSmith) May 17, 2016
Is Sanders insinuating that he was able to briefly calm down "high-crime areas" through the powers of mussed hair and faux-socialism?
— @red3blog (@red3blog) May 17, 2016
And "we've had rallies in high crime areas" WTF?! Is that when the downtown hipsters invaded the South Bronx? Racial tone deafness
— Federico Chispas (@dfsparks) May 17, 2016
"including in high-crime areas" ?? Why mention that? Were you scared of "thugs"? @BernieSanders
— You Wouldn't Know a Joke If One Raised You (@AZTanya) May 17, 2016
But my favorite might be the reference to "high crime" areas. You don't think he means places where there are a lot of…..
NAH.
— Steve Singiser (@stevesingiser) May 17, 2016
https://twitter.com/davidcrockett08/status/732664297323700224
https://twitter.com/FeralHomemaking/status/732667368040747011
So where are these "high crime" areas where you held rallies Bernie? https://t.co/ypmXoDEmLW
— Princess of Tides (@mooks19) May 17, 2016
https://twitter.com/AlGiordano/status/732655278139707392
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