Independent Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders said Monday that he would not close the borders over the escalating coronavirus outbreak.
The Democratic presidential candidate flatly said, “No,” when asked at a Fox News town hall broadcast.
Sanders continued that closing the borders is something “you don’t want to do right now,” claiming doing so would be in the spirit of a president “who has propagated a xenophobic, anti-immigrant sentiment from before he was elected,” Sanders said, attacking President Donald Trump. (RELATED: ‘Sanders Hates The Country He Seeks To Lead’: Tucker Breaks Down Bernie’s’ ‘Radical Open Border Policy’)
But the senator could not provide an alternative, saying “What we need to do is have the scientists take a hard look at what we need to do.” He suggested we first have to examine the communities where the virus is spreading and ask why.
“It may mean self-quarantine, it may be not having public assemblies,” Sanders told the audience before quickly reiterating his belief that closing the border is “the same old thing. Isn’t it interesting that a president who has been demagoguing and demonizing immigrants, the first thing that he could think about is closing down the border?” Sanders asked, suggesting scientists need to develop coronavirus policy — not politicians. (RELATED: Journalists Spread Fake News About Coronavirus And Trump … Again)
Last month, at a town hall meeting, a voter called out Sanders on his open borders flip-flop and demanded to know why his position had changed.
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(Photo by Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images)
Last week, the president signed an $8.3 billion spending bill to combat the disease.