President Donald Trump highlighted in an interview on Wednesday night the way that Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders handled losing to Hillary Clinton in 2016, and suggested that he may be getting ready to do the same thing with Joe Biden.
When asked if Biden was going to be the Democrats’ nominee, Trump answered, “I think they will do anything to assume power. And if they think he can do better than Bernie – and I guess they have less control over Bernie – Bernie is more for himself.”
“But I was surprised, when Bernie got beaten up last time, that he went out and endorsed Hillary and went around and did like a good puppy, like he’s supposed to do,” Trump continued. “I was a little surprised at that.”
“And, even this time, he was saying about how wonderful – Joe Biden’s a wonderful guy, wonderful man,” Trump concluded. “And I’m a little bit surprised by – it’s almost like he’s – I don’t know if he’s admitting defeat. He might be. But I watched him yesterday saying – or just a little while ago, saying very good things about sleepy Joe Biden. And I was a little bit surprised.”
WATCH:
TRANSCRIPT:
HANNITY: In 244 days, the American people are the ultimate jury, as I say.
Let me go back to that election for a second. It was very early on when Mike Bloomberg got in the race that you said, you’re wasting your money. About almost $600 million, estimates anywhere between $5 million and $12 million per delegate. He’s now out of the race.
What did you see? A lot of people thought he might do better. Why did his campaign not catch on?
TRUMP: Well, once he debated, I said, he’s going to be in trouble, because it’s not his thing. And he’s a smart guy. He’s a smart guy in a certain way, in a different kind of a way, but not in a political way.
He’s got a very bad political instinct. He’s surrounded by people that I know, in some cases, I know pretty well. They’re losers. He’s really surrounded by losers. But they have become winners, because they ripped him off for a lot of money. They really took him to the cleaners.
But some of these guys are really third-rate people. And they wanted him to keep going. And the longer he goes, the more money they make. That’s why they did it, because they knew that it’s not for him.
And I will tell you, I thought the strategy was incredible, when the DNC wouldn’t let him in the debates. He should have kept it that way. If he would have kept it that way, he would have done — I don’t think he could have won, but he would have done much better. He did really badly. But he would have done much better.
And then, today, as you notice, he said, oh, I’m going to support — I’m going to support Joe Biden. And that’s OK. I mean, that’s fine. I don’t know how you can do it. I mean, how can you — how does campaign finance laws, how do they let you do that?
But he wants to — he couldn’t get out fast enough. I guarantee he was on that debate when a very mean — she is a very mean person. You could ask Bernie Sanders, because what she’s done to him is terrible.
But when Elizabeth Warren went after him, he was saying, get me off this stage. Get me off here fast.
He got beat up very badly by Elizabeth Warren. It was not a pretty sight to watch. And that was the end of him. I mean, it’s incredible. It was so bad, that was the end of him. It ended right there.
And he was unable to recover from the debate performance, especially the first one.
HANNITY: Are you convinced now it’s Biden’s to lose?
TRUMP: I think so. I just don’t know how he gets there. I don’t know how he gets across the line. Maybe he will. Maybe it’s — who knows.
He was always very gaffe-prone. He was always — he was always in trouble in that way, but never like this. This is going — what’s going on now is crazy.
But I think they will do anything to assume power. And if they think he can do better than Bernie — and I guess they have less control over Bernie — Bernie is more for himself.
But I was surprised, when Bernie got beaten up last time, that he went out and endorsed Hillary and went around and did like a good puppy, like he’s supposed to do. I was a little surprised at that.
And, even this time, he was saying about how wonderful — Joe Biden’s a wonderful guy, wonderful man.
And I’m a little bit surprised by — it’s almost like he’s — I don’t know if he’s admitting defeat. He might be. But I watched him yesterday saying — or just a little while ago saying very good things about sleepy Joe Biden.
HANNITY: Yes.
TRUMP: And I was a little bit surprised.