Bernie Sanders: Donald Trump Is A Liar Who Encourages Violence

On Sunday morning, Bernie Sanders appeared on CNN’s “State of the Union” with Jake Tapper. During the 11-minute segment, Tapper interviewed Sanders on everything from Trump to his primary battle with Hillary Clinton. Throughout the first half of his interview, Sanders did something he hasn’t really done before: Sanders called Donald Trump a liar.

While in Vandalia, Ohio, Trump told people at a rally that Sanders had sent supporters out to his Chicago rally to stop him from speaking. Then, on Sunday morning, he tweeted a warning to Sanders, which could be construed as a threat of violence.

Bernie Sanders is lying when he says his disruptors aren't told to go to my events. Be careful Bernie, or my supporters will go to yours!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 13, 2016

It is well-documented that Trump supporters are prone to violence. Just last week a protester at an event in North Carolina was sucker punched as he was being led away by Secret Service. The protester was Rakeem Jones, and as he lifted a middle finger to the North Carolina crowd, 78-year-old John McGraw threw his infamous punch.

Inside Edition interviewed Jones’ attacker who seemed proud of himself.

“You bet I liked it. Knocking the he** out of that big mouth…The next time we see him, we might have to kill him. We don’t know who he is. He might be with a terrorist organization.”

McGraw was subsequently arrested and charged with assault and battery, and disorderly conduct.

When Tapper asked him about Trump’s threat to send supporters to his events, Sanders said people ought to take everything the real estate mogul says with a grain of salt.

“Almost everybody knows that this man cannot stop lying about anything. To call me a communist is a lie. To talk about our organization, our campaign disrupting his meeting is a lie…There were thousands of people there. I understand that some of them were supporters of mine, but certainly, absolutely…our campaign had nothing to do with disrupting his meeting…His Republican colleagues make this point…his language, his intonations, when he talks about carrying people out on stretchers, when you see at his rallies people sucker punched, folks kick people when they’re down…this is a man who keeps implying violence, and then you end up getting what you see.”

Sanders then emphasized how Trump must tell his supporters that violence is unacceptable.

“He’s gotta tell his supporters that in the United States of America, you don’t go beating up people that have a right to peacefully protest.”

The group People For Bernie helped organized the protest, which in turn caused Trump to cancel his Chicago appearance. This group is not an official part of Sanders’ campaign. It is just a private group of citizens who support him. During his segment, Sanders actually said that while he supports people’s right to organize and protest, he condemned attempts to disrupt events to the extent they must be canceled. Again, he said Trump was “not telling the truth.”

Remember the #TrumpRally wasn't just luck. It took organizers from dozens of organizations and thousands of people to pull off. Great work.

— People for Bernie (@People4Bernie) March 12, 2016

After Trump’s rally in Chicago was postponed because thousands of anti-Trump protesters poured into the venue alongside his supporters. Even though Republicans have publicly denounced Trump’s encouragement and tacit approval of violence against dissenters, he continues to draw large crowds of supporters.

Reuters reports Trump wants anyone who disrupts his events to be arrested.

“They’ll have to explain to Mom and Dad why they have a police record and why they can’t get a job…I’m going to start pressing charges against all these people and then we won’t have a problem.”

Here's a Trump supporter and a protester having an open/honest convo. @DNAinfoCHI pic.twitter.com/fvbVvu1XJv

— Evan F. Moore (@evanFmoore) March 12, 2016

What the GOP front-runner doesn’t seem to understand, or (like Clinton) has conveniently forgotten, having a police record for protesting didn’t stop Bernie Sanders from becoming a successful mayor, successful congressman, or a successful senator. He’s now a serious, viable candidate for President. Sanders’ record of protesting in the 1960s against political corruption and segregation actually lends him more credibility with young voters and undecided voters who believe in political reform.

In November, Inquisitr ran a piece detailing the fascist leanings of Donald Trump’s candidacy. Even then, his rallies were inciting violence against protesters. Instead of taking responsibility for attacks that are so common at his rallies (as Bernie Sanders suggests he should), he blames the protesters, implying they have no right to protest.

Sanders wrapped up his comments on Trump by reiterating the Republican’s aversion to the truth.

“It should not surprise anybody. He very rarely tells the truth.”

[Photo: Spencer Platt/Getty]