
US Senator Bernie Sanders says Democrats are 'threat to Democracy' on podcast
Senator Bernie Sanders with Andrew Schulz in a podcast
Senator
Bernie Sanders
agreed that the
Democratic party
is a "
threat to democracy
" in a new podcast interview and also admitted that Democrats had not held a fair primary since 2008.
Speaking on an episode of Andrew Schulz's popular "Flagrant" podcast, Sanders said no argument when the co-host Akaash Singh claimed that over the last four elections, Democrats didn't have a say on who could be president.
When Singh said, "But then could. Could we not also say if ostensibly there hasn't been a fair primary for The Democrats since 2008, are they not also a threat to democracy? We often hear, fair enough, that is." To this Sanders replied, "Yeah, I'm not going to argue with that point."
Schulz said he felt the party stole the nomination from Sanders in 2016, when he narrowly lost the Democratic primary to establishment favorite Hillary Clinton, who went on to lose to Donald Trump.
This has been a long-standing contention in Democratic circles that Bernie's bid was scuttled in 2016 and he was more popular than Hillary.
"And I'll be honest, it broke my heart when you supported them," Schulz told Sanders.
Currently, Sanders is conducting nationwide appearances alongside Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., for their "Fighting Oligarchy" tour, which has attracted substantial attendance.
by Taboola
by Taboola
Sponsored Links
Sponsored Links
Promoted Links
Promoted Links
You May Like
Perdagangkan CFD Emas dengan Broker Tepercaya
IC Markets
Mendaftar
Undo
Sanders responded, "In the world that I live in, you've got a choice. And I know a lot of people, including my wife, agree with you, but you're down to a choice. Is it going to be Hillary Clinton? Or is it going to be Donald Trump? Not a great choice."
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Time of India
16 minutes ago
- Time of India
India's Russian arms deals ‘rubbed US the wrong way', but trends changing now: US Commerce Secretary Lutnick
US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick has said a trade agreement between the United States and India could be finalised in the 'not-too-distant future', pointing to a growing alignment in strategic and economic interests. Speaking at the eighth US-India Strategic Partnership Forum in Washington, DC, Lutnick confirmed that 'you should expect a deal between the United States and India in the not too distant future.' He added, 'When they put the right person in India, put the right person on the other side of the table, and we've managed (that), I think.' His comments arrive as both sides rush to reach a deal before the 9 July deadline set by US President Donald Trump. The US had earlier threatened sweeping tariffs to rebalance what it called unfair trade arrangements, with the exception of China. However, Washington later paused those tariffs for 90 days. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 5 Books Warren Buffett Wants You to Read In 2025 Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Undo Shifting gears on defence buys Lutnick highlighted that one of the issues previously souring US-India ties was New Delhi's traditional preference for purchasing military equipment from Russia. 'There were certain things that the Indian government did that generally rubbed the United States the wrong way,' Lutnick said. 'For instance, you generally buy your military gear from Russia. That's a way to kind of get under the skin of America if you're going to buy your armaments from Russia. I think India starting to move towards buying military equipment from the United States, which then goes a long way.' Live Events However, Lutnick made it clear that this is changing: 'I think India [is] starting to move towards buying military equipment from the United States, which then goes a long way. And these kind of things—just creating that relationship—being a part of BRICS, which is, 'oh, let's move to not support the dollar and dollar hegemony'—that's not really the way to make friends and influence people in America.' He praised India's openness to addressing these concerns directly. 'The President calls that out directly and specifically, and the Indian government is addressing it specifically. And that's how you move on to a really positive place. Put it on the table, address it straight on, resolve it straight on and get to a really good place. And I think that's where we are,' he said. India's historical reliance on Russia for defence equipment has long been a sticking point in its relations with Washington. With the backdrop of increasing US sanctions on Russian firms and growing pressure on global partners to reduce ties with Moscow, New Delhi's procurement strategy has drawn scrutiny. Lutnick acknowledged this history but stressed that things are changing. 'The President calls that out directly and specifically, and the Indian government is addressing it specifically. And that's how you move on to a really positive place,' he said. He urged transparency and direct engagement, saying, 'Put it on the table, address it straight on, resolve it straight on and get to a really good place. And I think that's where we are.' $500 billion trade goal set The US-India Strategic Partnership Forum, where Lutnick spoke, focused on scaling up trade and political engagement. Ahead of the summit, Lutnick was expected to 'share his insights on strengthening the U.S.-India strategic and economic partnership to achieve the goal set by President Trump and Prime Minister Modi for $500 billion in bilateral trade.' India's current trade with the US stands at approximately $191 billion. Both countries have agreed to negotiate the first phase of a broad bilateral trade agreement by September or October 2025. Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal also confirmed progress, saying, 'Both countries are committed to work together, both countries desire to give preferential access to each other's businesses and we are working towards the bilateral trade agreement.' The aim is to more than double trade volume by 2030. Deals on a fast track—unusual, but urgent At the forum, Lutnick acknowledged that trade deals of this scale are typically slow-moving. But current urgency has created momentum. 'These kinds of deals used to take two or three years and we're trying to get them done in a month, which is just not the ordinary DNA of trading relationships between countries,' he said. He also applauded New Delhi's approach: 'I think India is trying hard to be one of the earlier countries, which I appreciate.' Lutnick, a known supporter of using tariffs as negotiation tools, clarified that lowering India's tariff barriers was 'absolutely on the table.' He said, 'Bringing them down to a level that is reasonable and appropriate so we can be great trading partners with each other, I think is absolutely on the table.' Modi-Trump rapport a factor The commerce secretary credited the personal connection between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Trump as a foundation for smooth negotiations. 'President Donald Trump is the only person in our administration elected by the full United States of America and so does PM Modi in India,' he said, noting that this similarity creates a 'pretty unique' understanding. 'This relationship is very strong and positive, making way for an easy path to trade negotiations because we start from a very positive place,' Lutnick added. Praise for Modi from US lawmakers The admiration didn't end there. Rich McCormick, US Congressman and co-chair of the India Caucus, described Modi as 'the most influential politician ever in India, probably the most influential person in India since (Mahatma) Gandhi.' He also praised Modi's grassroots connection: 'People who knew him before he became the Prime Minister talked about him staying and sleeping on the floor when they came to visit.' McCormick added that India's economic trajectory now mirrors American values: 'They're on the right track, as a matter of fact, in some ways, I think they're almost more American than we are right now, in that capitalistic mindset.' Soft diplomacy from the Second Lady Second Lady Usha Vance, who visited India in April with Vice President JD Vance and their children, also shared a personal anecdote. Recalling their visit to the Prime Minister's residence, she said, 'Our son was just so taken by everything and then taken by the entire cart of mangoes that was available for him to eat that he announced to the Prime Minister that he thought he could maybe live there.' She added, 'They've been all over the place and had wonderful opportunities to see the world, but this was really special to them.' (with inputs from ANI)


Time of India
42 minutes ago
- Time of India
Donald Trump asks US Supreme Court to allow mass federal layoffs
Donald Trump's administration asked the U.S. Supreme Court on Monday to halt a judicial order blocking mass job cuts and the restructuring of agencies, part of the Republican president's campaign to downsize and reshape the federal government. The Justice Department's request came after San Francisco-based U.S. District Judge Susan Illston blocked large-scale federal layoffs , known as " reductions in force ," in a May 22 ruling siding with a group of unions, non-profit groups and local governments that challenged the administration. The case involves the U.S. Departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Health and Human Services, State, Treasury and Veterans Affairs, among others. Controlling the personnel of federal agencies "lies at the heartland" of the president's executive branch authority, the Justice Department said in the filing. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Dermatologista recomenda: simples truque elimina o fungo facilmente Acabe com o Fungo Undo "The Constitution does not erect a presumption against presidential control of agency staffing, and the president does not need special permission from Congress to exercise core Article II powers," the filing said, referring to the constitution's section delineating presidential authority. The Supreme Court requested a response by the plaintiffs in the case to the administration's filing by June 9. Live Events Trump directed federal agencies in February to "promptly undertake preparations to initiate large-scale reductions in force" as part of his administration's restructuring plans. Illston wrote in her ruling that Trump had exceeded his authority in ordering the downsizing. "As history demonstrates, the president may broadly restructure federal agencies only when authorized by Congress," Illston wrote. Illston on May 9 had initially blocked about 20 agencies from making mass layoffs for two weeks and ordered the reinstatement of workers who had lost their jobs. She continued most of that relief in her May 22 ruling. The San Francisco-based 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in a 2-1 ruling on May 30 denied the Trump administration 's request to halt the judge's ruling. The 9th Circuit said the administration had not shown that it would suffer an irreparable injury if the judge's order remained in place and that the plaintiffs were likely to prevail in their lawsuit. "The executive order at issue here far exceeds the president's supervisory powers under the Constitution," the 9th Circuit wrote, calling the administration's actions "an unprecedented attempted restructuring of the federal government and its operations." Trump's administration has sought relief from the Supreme Court in a growing number of cases following rulings by lower courts impeding various policies since he returned to office in January.


Hindustan Times
an hour ago
- Hindustan Times
Who is David Richardson? FEMA head under fire for saying he 'didn't know US had a hurricane season'
New Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) head David Richardson is currently under fire for allegedly telling his staff that he 'didn't know the US had a hurricane season," according to a Reuters report citing four sources familiar with the matter. The comment was allegedly made during a recent internal briefing. However, staff remain uncertain whether Richardson made the remark seriously or meant it as a joke. A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), FEMA's parent agency, dismissed the controversy, saying the comment was clearly a joke and that FEMA is fully prepared for the 2025 hurricane season. David Richardson is originally from Waterford, Michigan, and currently resides in Northern Virginia with his two sons. He holds a B.S. in biology from Harding University in Searcy, Arkansas, and previously served as a ground combat officer in the United States Marine Corps. During the Long War, he completed deployments to Afghanistan, Iraq, and Africa, and was recognized for valor in combat operations. In January 2025, Richardson was appointed Assistant Secretary for the Department of Homeland Security's Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Office (CWMD). He assumed leadership of FEMA in early May, replacing Cameron Hamilton, who was removed from the position by DHS Secretary Kristi Noem. The Reuters report has drawn backlash from Democratic lawmakers. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer shared the article on X, writing that he was "unaware of why he hasn't been fired yet." Representative Bennie Thompson, the senior Democrat on the House Homeland Security Committee with oversight of FEMA, issued a statement to Reuters that read: "Suffice to say, disaster response is no joke. If you don't know what or when hurricane season is, you're not qualified to run FEMA. Get someone knowledgeable in there.' The US hurricane season officially began Sunday and runs through November. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) recently forecast an above-average season, with up to 10 hurricanes expected. (With inputs from Reuters)