Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont had harsh words on Sunday for his colleague, Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, who is now a fellow Independent in the upper chamber.
During an appearance on CNN’s “State of the Union,” Sanders blasted the Arizona Independent, saying “she is a corporate Democrat who has, in fact, along with Sen. [Joe] Manchin, sabotaged enormously important legislation.”
Sinema announced Friday that she left the Democratic Party, arguing it’s more in line with who she is and the decisions she makes.
“Americans are told that we have only two choices – Democrat or Republican – and that we must subscribe wholesale to policy views the parties hold, views that have been pulled further and further toward the extremes,” she wrote in The Arizona Republic.
“Most Arizonans believe this is a false choice, and when I ran for the U.S. House and the Senate, I promised Arizonans something different,” Sinema added. “I pledged to be independent and work with anyone to achieve lasting results. I committed I would not demonize people I disagreed with, engage in name-calling, or get distracted by political drama.”
Sanders speculated her decision had more to do with her future political ambitions in the state.
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“I happen to suspect that it’s probably a lot to do with politics back in Arizona,” Sanders said.
“I think the Democrats, they’re not all that enthusiastic about somebody who helps sabotage some of the most important legislation that protects the interests of working families and voting rights and so forth,” he continued. “So, I think it really has to do with her political aspirations for the future in Arizona. But for us, I think nothing much has changed in terms of the functioning of the U.S. Senate.”
Bernie Sanders when asked if Krysten Sinema has the guts to take on powerful interests, "No, she doesn't. She's a corporate Democrat who has along with Senator Manchin sabotaged enormously important legislation." pic.twitter.com/yUv4zmXI7Y
— Sarah Reese Jones (@PoliticusSarah) December 11, 2022
Sinema's decision came days after her former party secured a 51-49 majority in the Senate.
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