Oscar-winning actress Susan Sarandon was a surprise guest at Sen. Bernie Sanders's ice cream social in Davenport, Iowa on Monday, where she (and her dog) introduced the 2020 presidential candidate. Sarandon, many know, has been a Bernie fan since before the 2016 election.
Bernie Sanders is kicking off a three-day trip in Iowa today alongside @SusanSarandon, here at a campaign field office in Davenport with her Pomeranian-Maltese named Penny. pic.twitter.com/2Yh2PkTJxs
— Ruby Cramer (@rubycramer) August 19, 2019
In her Iowa remarks, Sarandon lauded Sanders's record, but she also took aim at one of his opponents by noting, "he is not someone who used to be a Republican." This was a not-so-subtle dig at Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), who used to be registered with the GOP.
Some progressive activists were dismayed by Sarandon's attack. Center for American Progress President Neera Tanden wrote, "Very disappointing." Others called it "unhelpful," "preposterous," and "disgusting."
Those who remember Sarandon's ardent devotion to Sanders may also recall how she took aim at his opponents during the 2016 contest, particularly frontrunner Hillary Clinton. So strong was Sarandon's disdain that the actress even declared that Clinton would be "more dangerous" than Donald Trump. And at the Democratic National Convention, when attendees were whooping and hollering for Clinton, a viral video of Sarandon captured how very unamused she was.
Susan Sarandon Confirms She Really Was Having The Worst Time At The DNC https://t.co/sYDFvwZO9F
— NPR Politics (@nprpolitics) July 27, 2016
She later called the DNC "corrupt" for appearing to be in the Clinton camp all along.
Of course, if we're going to use political affiliation as a line of attack, then Sarandon and other Sanders surrogates must note that he does not claim to be a Democrat. He's an independent. Clinton made note of that fact at a town hall in the 2016 primary. CNN even unearthed an old speech of Sanders's in which he claimed there was no hope for the Democratic Party. He's since criticized the party as needing to be more open to independents.
While Sanders and Warren battle over who the stauncher progressive is, a new CNN poll reveals that former Vice President Joe Biden has regained his double-digit lead over the rest of the field.