Sen. Bernie Sanders said Wednesday night he agrees with former President Barack Obama’s recent comments that the average American does not want to tear down the current political system.
“We don’t have to tear down the system, but we do have to do what the American people want,” Sanders said in response to a question during the fifth Democratic debate. “And the American people understand today that the current health care system is not only cruel, it is dysfunctional.”
Last week, during an event with wealthy liberal donors, Obama urged candidates not to push too far left.
“Even as we push the envelope and we are bold in our vision we also have to be rooted in reality,” the New York Times reported Obama saying. “The average American doesn’t think we have to completely tear down the system and remake it.”
Over the weekend, during a televised Univision presidential forum, Sanders was also asked about Obama’s statement, and said he did not believe his platform was “tearing down the system.”
“When I talk about health care being a human right and ending the embarrassment of America being the only major country on earth that does not guarantee health care for every man, woman and child, that’s not tearing down the system. That’s doing what we should have done 30 years ago,” Sanders said.
The Vermont senator’s performance was subdued for much of the two hour Democratic presidential primary debate in Atlanta, in part because of the time constraints imposed by the format, which gave all 10 candidates a chance to speak.
But during his limited time he was challenged by Rachel Maddow, one of MSNBC’s moderators, about supporters chanting “lock him up” — in reference to President Donald Trump — at recent Sanders rallies.
Sanders did not condemn the behavior, which mirrors that of Trump supporters who have chanted “lock her up” about former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
“I think the people of this country are catching on to the degree that this president thinks he is above the law,” Sanders said. “And what the American people are saying is ‘nobody is above the law.’”
“If this president did break the law, he should be prosecuted like any other individual who breaks the law,” Sanders added. “But at the end of the day, what we need to do is bring our people together, not just in opposition to Trump.”
The U.S. president and the impeachment inquiry into his conduct was discussed at length during the first hour of the debate. Former Vice President Joe Biden along with Sens. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota and Kamala Harris of California all agreed Trump should be impeached.
While Sanders agreed Trump should be impeached, he added that it is imperative for Democratic candidates to focus on more than just the president.
“We cannot simply be consumed by Donald Trump, because if we are, you know what, we are going to lose the election,” Sanders said.
“We can deal with Trump’s corruption but we also have to stand up for the working families of this country,” he added.
Sanders’ key policy proposal, Medicare for All, which dominated the previous four debates, did not take up much oxygen during Wednesday night’s affair.
Mayor Pete Buttigieg of South Bend, Indiana, quickly pivoted to health care early on in an attempt to outline how his proposal — “Medicare for All who want it” — is less divisive than the universal health care proposal that Sanders and Warren support.
Sanders was brought into the conversation quickly, leading to a gruff snap from the Vermont independent.
“Thank you, I did write the damn bill,” Sanders said to laughs from the audience.
Sanders’ Medicare for All plan has been in the spotlight since the beginning of this election cycle, joined by Warren in pushing for the proposal even as moderate Democrats in the race have moved away from it.
Warren, however, has consistently avoided questions about whether Medicare for All would raise taxes on lower and middle income people. Sanders has been clear there would be such tax increases but they would be offset by other cost savings.
Earlier this month Warren released her own plan to pay for Medicare for All.
In an interview with ABC, Sanders was quick to criticize Warren over aspects of her proposal, saying it could have a “very negative impact” on job creation. Instead of imposing income and payroll taxes, as Sanders would, Warren would charge businesses a per-employee tax based on what they currently spend on insurance.
“I think that that would probably have a very negative impact on creating those jobs, or providing wages, increased wages and benefits for those workers,” Sanders said.
