Busy promoting a biographical documentary about her life, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has taken the time to weigh in on the 2020 Democratic Party presidential primaries, bashing Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont in multiple media appearances, once going as far as suggesting that she would not support him in a general election against President Donald Trump.
Award-winning documentary filmmaker Michael Moore , who supports Sanders, discussed Clinton’s attacks in a Saturday interview with MSNBC. Per The Hill , Moore ripped into the 2016 Democratic nominee, arguing that her constant attacks on the senator only help Trump, while dividing Democratic voters.
“Hillary’s comments about Bernie… that only exists to help Donald Trump,” Moore told MSNBC, stating he following about Clinton’s suggestion that “nobody likes” Sanders.
“It was divisive, it was cruel and it was a lie.”
Moore also weighed in on Clinton’s claim that Sanders did not do enough to support her against Trump in 2016. The former secretary of state has argued numerous times that Sanders bears part of the blame for her loss to Trump, suggesting that he failed to rally his supporters behind her and that he did not do enough to “unify” the party.
Drawing a contrast between Clinton’s efforts to help her 2008 primary opponent, former President Barack Obama, and Sanders’ efforts to help her, Moore pointed to the number of campaign rallies Clinton did for Obama, and to the number of rallies Sanders did for Clinton.
“He did 39 rallies on his own for Hillary. When Hillary lost to Barack Obama in the primaries of [2008], she did 12,” the filmmaker said.
“Bernie did 39, he supported her, I’ve never heard him say a negative word about her [Clinton],” Moore added.
Defending Sanders against criticism, Moore said that the senator is “beloved” by people across the country. According to polling, Sanders is indeed popular . He enjoys a 65 percent approval rating among his constituents, and 71 percent of Democratic primary voters hold a favorable view of him.
Jam-packed crowd in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, all ready to caucus for @BernieSanders on Monday!! #NotMeUs pic.twitter.com/sJUR1Q8gwq
— Michael Moore (@MMFlint) February 2, 2020
As The Hill notes, other Sanders surrogates have pushed back against Clinton’s attacks on Sanders. On Friday, during a live campaign event in Iowa, Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib booed when Clinton’s name was mentioned, dismissing her comments aimed at the senator.
“The haters will shut up on Monday when we win,” she told the crowd.
Tlaib later issued an apology for her comments, encouraging all Democrats to rally behind whoever manages to win the nomination.
After initially suggesting that she would not support Sanders against Trump, Clinton later clarified that she will fully support the Democratic nominee.
