Bernie Sanders Doesn’t Rule Out a 2020 Run

Towards the end of his interview on The Late Show, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) didn’t flat-out reject the idea of another presidential run.

Stephen Colbert began by asking Sanders “where’s the revolution?” if the income inequality gap is as bad as he alleges.

“What is our chance at avoiding what will eventually become a clash of money and interest against the forgotten?” Colbert asked.

Sanders responded by saying that “more and more people” are “adopting a progressive ideology.”

“But that’s not reflected in the number of people who are controlling state houses, the number of governors that are elected,” Colbert pushed back. That conversation is being had on a national level… but the Democrats must not have been putting out this message if people agree with it because they’ve lost 1,000 offices over the last eight years!”

“Absolutely, not only have they lost 1,000 legislative seats, they have essentially abdicated, conceded half the states in America, including some of the poorest states,” Sanders said in agreement. “And that is precisely why a couple of weeks ago, Alexandria [Ocasio-Cortez] and I went to Kansas, because we think in Kansas you’ve got a lot of people who are sick and tired of the status quo and want to see different policies. And I am working hard all over this country, along with many others, to tell the Democratic Party they just can’t be a party of the east coast and the west coast. They’ve got to be a party of every state in this country. It’s not easy. And that’s what we’re trying to do.”

The Late Show host then invoked a betting site which has him tied with Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA) at winning the Democratic nomination in 2020.

“You want to lay a bet on who gets to face Donald Trump in 2020?” Colbert asked.

“Actually, that’s exactly what I don’t want to do. No,” Sanders answered.

“So right now, are you willing to put aside all speculation and announce to the people here that you are not running in 2020?” Colbert followed.

“No,” Sanders firmly responded. “What I have said time and time again, my focus right now is on 2018 and to do everything that I can to end one-party rule of the House and the Senate… But it’s too early to be talking about 2020.”

Watch the clip above, via CBS.