Democratic presidential candidate and Independent Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders said decades ago that he believes a woman could win the presidency.
The flashback video further complicates allegations from Democratic Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren that Sanders recently told her he did not think a woman could win an election in the U.S.
“The real issue is not whether you’re black or white, whether you’re a woman or a man — in my view, a woman could be elected president of the United States,” Sanders said in 1988. “The real issue is whose side are you on?”
WATCH:
“In my view a woman could be elected president of the United States.” — Bernie Sanders, 1988 pic.twitter.com/WJd847DdmA
— Meagan Day (@meaganmday) January 13, 2020
The clip from 1988 began circulating on social media Monday after CNN cited several secondhand sources who claimed Sanders told Warren during a private meeting that a woman could not win in 2020. Sanders unequivocally denied making such a statement.
Warren, after allowing the story to circulate for hours, eventually released a statement insisting that CNN’s version of events was accurate. (RELATED: Warren Issues Statement, Stands By Claims That Bernie Sanders Told Her A Woman Couldn’t Win)
“Among the topics that came up [during the meeting] was what would happen if Democrats nominated a female candidate. I thought a woman could win; he disagreed. I have no interest in discussing this private meeting any further because Bernie and I have far more in common than our differences on punditry,” Warren said.
Democratic Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard defended Sanders, arguing that he was nothing but supportive when they privately discussed her presidential run.