Sanders ‘Disturbed, but Not Surprised’ by Hillary ‘Insulting’ Voters with Refusal to Debate
Sen. Bernie Sanders expressed his disappointment that Hillary Clinton chose to turn down an invitation to participate in a Democratic debate on Fox News in advance of the California primary.
“I was disturbed but not surprised,” he said, to hear that Clinton had “backed out of the debate.” He added that his campaign and the Clinton campaign had already agreed to “a number of debates, including one here in California in May.”
“I gotta tell you this. I think it is a little bit insulting to the people of California, our largest state, that she is not prepared to have a discussion with me about how she will help the Californians address the major crises that we face,” Sanders said Monday at a rally in Santa Monica, California.
“We have declined Fox News’ invitation to participate in a debate in California,” campaign communications director Jennifer Palmieri said in a statement. “As we have said previously, we plan to compete hard in the remaining primary states, particularly California, while turning our attention to the threat a Donald Trump presidency poses.
“We believe that Hillary Clinton’s time is best spent campaigning and meeting directly with voters across California and preparing for a general election campaign that will ensure the White House remains in Democratic hands,” she added.
The senator also tweeted his disappointment:
I am disappointed but not surprised by Secretary Clinton’s unwillingness to debate before the largest primary. https://t.co/tQPIWppgEM
— Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) May 24, 2016
Clinton and Sanders last debated in April in Brooklyn just before the New York primary. The Democrats’ official website still lists a tenth debate scheduled for May, but the precise date, location, and network are “TBD.”
Have a tip we should know? tips@mediaite.com
