Politics

Hillary’s Latest Wrath Falls In Bernie’s Lap

Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images

Justin Caruso Contributor
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An excerpt from Hillary Clinton’s upcoming book on the 2016 election circulating online shows her taking digs at Bernie Sanders and his supporters.

A photo of a page from Clinton’s upcoming book, “What Happened,” set to be released September 12, shows Clinton criticizing Sanders for, among other things, “causing lasting damage” to the Clinton campaign and “paving the way” for Trump’s characterization of her as “crooked.”

Clinton also claims that Sanders is “fundamentally wrong about the Democratic Party,” recalling a list of Democratic policy changes spanning decades and ending the paragraph by stating, “I am proud to be a Democrat and I wish Bernie were, too.”

Clinton also ripped Sanders’ supporters for allegedly “harassing” her supporters online.

“Some of his supporters, the so-called Bernie Bros, took to harassing my supporters online,” Clinton wrote. “It got ugly and more than a little sexist.”

Clinton’s dig at the alleged sexism of “Bernie Bros” echoes a common refrain from some Clinton backers who have accused Bernie Sanders’ younger, male supporters of engaging in online harassment. (RELATED: Clinton Camp: Bernie Bros Have ‘Very White Male Centric View Of The World’)

Some Sanders fans on Twitter were not happy with Clinton’s accusations. One pro-Sanders Twitter user, Amir Amini, wrote: “This level of denial, dishonesty and viciousness would be shocking if this weren’t written by Hillary Clinton.”

The bad blood between Hillary’s campaign and Bernie’s supporters is nothing new. A number of Sanders supporters have blamed Clinton for the Democrats’ 2016 loss to Donald Trump, with some adopting the slogan, “Bernie would have won.”

Clinton used identity politics as a cudgel against accusations of being too close to big finance and Wall Street during the 2016 Democratic primary.

Clinton once said on the campaign trail, “If we broke up the big banks tomorrow—and I will if they deserve it, if they pose a systemic risk, I will—would that end racism?”

“Would that end sexism? Would that end discrimination against the LGBT community? Would that make people feel more welcoming to immigrants overnight?”

Another excerpt from the book circulating online also shows Clinton’s frustration with Bernie and his supporters:

Liberal infighting over Clinton, Sanders and 2016 is an old topic, but one that the Democrats are likely going to continue to grapple with as they look forward to the 2020 election. Already, familiar splits have emerged, such as between Tom Perez and Keith Ellison, who faced off for DNC chair in February.

Perez was seen by many as being emblematic of Clintonite liberalism, while Ellison represented a more Bernie-style politics.

Democratic California Sen. Kamala Harris, who is widely expected to run for president in 2020, has also had challenges navigating the party divide. Some progressives have expressed skepticism about her leftist credentials, while some Sanders supporters continue inching the party in a more progressive direction. (RELATED: Not All Leftists Are Thrilled About 2020 Dem Wundergirl Kamala Harris)

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