Asked About Campaign, Sanders Bristles: ‘I’m Dealing With A F***ing Global Crisis’

On Wednesday, Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) reportedly “lashed out” at CNN’s Manu Raju during a press gaggle when Raju asked the senator about his campaign.

In a series of tweets, Raju detailed the alleged encounter:

I noted he’s running for president, and he said: “Well right now, right now I’m trying to do my best to make sure that we don’t have an economic meltdown and that people don’t die. Is that enough for you to keep me busy for today?”

— Manu Raju (@mkraju) March 18, 2020

Then @LisaMascaro asked what he’s saying to his supporters, and he sidestepped the question, noting he’s sent out a statement. Then, I asked about his timeframe — and he was furious

Afterwards, he mellowed out and answered questions about the crisis for about two more minutes.

— Manu Raju (@mkraju) March 18, 2020

Sen. Bernie Sanders grew angry when asked about his campaign plans. During a gaggle with reporters in the Capitol, I asked Sanders about his timeframe for making a decision, and he lashed out: “I’m dealing with a f***ing global crisis. You know, we’re dealing with.”

I noted he’s running for president, and he said: “Well right now, right now I’m trying to do my best to make sure that we don’t have an economic meltdown and that people don’t die. Is that enough for you to keep me busy for today?”

The blowup occurred about half way through a five-minute gaggle where Sanders talked about the “unprecedented crisis of our lifetime,” calling for a range of measures that the U.S. government should take in the midst of the economic crisis.

Then @LisaMascaro asked what he’s saying to his supporters, and he sidestepped the question, noting he’s sent out a statement. Then, I asked about his timeframe – and he was furious. Afterwards, he mellowed out and answered questions about the crisis for about two more minutes.

On Wednesday, Sanders also criticized President Trump’s alleged plan to provide many Americans with $2,000 in relief due to the economic difficulties that have come about in the wake of the coronavirus, saying that such a measure “isn’t good enough.”

It’s been estimated that the unemployment rate could hit 20% if we don’t act boldly. A one or two time check isn’t good enough—the government must tell every small and mid-sized business owner that we’ll cover 100% of their payroll if they don’t lay off anyone during this crisis.

— Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) March 18, 2020

Sanders is coming off of three bruising primary losses, as Democratic voters in Arizona, Illinois, and Florida chose rival Joe Biden by significant margins on Tuesday.

As of publication, with 88% of precincts reporting, Biden leads in Arizona 43.6% to Sanders’ 31.7%. In Illinois, Biden leads 59.1% to Sanders’ 36% with 99% of precincts reporting. Biden’s largest margin of victory on Tuesday came in Florida, where he took 61.9% of the vote to Sanders’ 22.8% with 100% of precincts reporting.

Prior to the South Carolina Democratic primary, Sanders was on a roll, either winning or essentially tying for first place in the first three caucuses/primaries. Former Vice President Joe Biden performed abysmally during those initial votes, but roared back in the first-in-the-South primary, winning South Carolina with 48.4%, according to The Associated Press.

Then came Super Tuesday where Biden won ten of the 14 states that held their primaries and caucuses on that day.

As of Wednesday, Biden has 1,180 delegates, while Sanders has 884. In order to secure the Democratic nomination for president, a candidate needs 1,991 delegates by the end of the primary process.

Following his Tuesday losses, Sanders said that he is “assessing” the campaign, reports CNN.

Sanders’ campaign manager Faiz Shakir said on Wednesday: “The next primary contest is at least three weeks away. Sen. Sanders is going to be having conversations with supporters to assess his campaign. In the immediate term, however, he is focused on the government response to the coronavirus outbreak and ensuring that we take care of working people and the most vulnerable.”