Though Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) shot down a report that he told Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) a woman can’t win the White House, Warren is offering a different response.
A CNN story, citing four anonymous sources, claimed Sanders met with Warren in December 2018 where Warren shared how she believes she would be a strong candidate in the 2020 presidential election. However, Sanders apparently responded in saying that he didn’t think a woman can win.
Though Warren’s communication director initially declined to comment on the article, Warren decided to offer a response herself.
She wrote in a statement:
“Bernie and I met for more than two hours in December 2018 to discuss the 2020 election, our past work together and our shared goals: beating Donald Trump, taking back our government from the wealthy and well-connected, and building an economy that works for everyone.”
Warren continued, “Among the topics that came up was what would happen if Democrats nominated a female candidate. I thought a woman could win; he disagreed.”
Reiterating that she has been friends with Sanders for a while, Warren said that she expects the two to continue to “work together to defeat Donald Trump and put our government on the side of the people.”
“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. I’m in this race to talk about what’s broken in this country and how to fix it — and that’s what I’m going to continue to do. I know Bernie is in this race for the same reason. We have been friends and allies in this fight for a long time, and I have no doubt we will continue to work together to defeat Donald Trump and put our government on the side of the people.”
Sanders denied the claim in the article saying in a statement on Monday, “It is ludicrous to believe that at the same meeting where Elizabeth Warren told me she was going to run for president, I would tell her that a woman couldn’t win.”
“Do I believe a woman can win in 2020?” he later added. “Of course!”
Additionally, prior to Warren’s response to the article, Sanders’ campaign manager called the alleged comments made by Sanders a “lie.”
Some people close to Sanders’ campaign are saying that his campaign feels “betrayed” by the report and they believe Warren is the one behind it, according to The Washington Examiner.
Warren and Sanders will both be on the debate stage in Des Moines, Iowa, on Tuesday night.
