Bernie’s views are baloney and no one likes him, fumes Hillary Clinton

Hillary Clinton has lashed Bernie Sanders as a ‘career politician’, suggesting his passion for causes he espouses was ‘just baloney’.

Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders at a rally in 2016.

Hillary Clinton has made an outspoken attack on Bernie Sanders, her former rival who is a frontrunner for this year’s Democratic presidential nomination, declaring: “Nobody likes him.”

Mrs Clinton, 72, who narrowly defeated the senator for Vermont in 2016 before losing to President Trump, described Mr Sanders as a “career politician”, suggesting that his passion for the causes he espouses was “just baloney”.

She added that Mr Sanders, 78, and his team were particularly hostile to women, a reference to his row with Elizabeth Warren, his rival for the Democratic nomination. Mrs Warren has said that he told her privately in 2018 that a woman could not win the White House and after last week’s television debate she refused to shake his hand.

Mrs Clinton’s comments, made in a documentary about her 2016 campaign that has yet to be released, will be regarded as the latest sign that the Democratic establishment is terrified that Mr Sanders will win the nomination and take the party to the left. She refused to say whether she would endorse him should he get the nomination.

Hillary Clinton speaking as Bernie Sanders applauds at a rally in Portsmouth, New Hampshire during the 2016 race. Picture AFP.

Mrs Clinton said in the documentary for the Hulu television network: “He was in Congress for years. He had one senator support him. Nobody likes him, nobody wants to work with him, he got nothing done.” When asked by Hollywood Reporter if that assessment still held, she responded: “Yes, it does.”

Mr Sanders has solid support among party “progressives” for a program that includes raising taxes and cancelling student debt. After recovering from a heart attack and cardiac surgery in October, Mr Sanders recorded the best fundraising figures of any candidate. He has held on to second place in most polls behind Joe Biden, the centrist former vice-president.

Mrs Clinton added: “It’s not only him, it’s the culture around him. It’s his leadership team. It’s his prominent supporters. It’s his online Bernie Bros and their relentless attacks on lots of his competitors, particularly the women.”

She added that she hoped people were paying attention to such characteristics. “Because it should be worrisome that he has permitted this culture, not only permitted, [he] seems to really be very much supporting it.”

In 2016 Mrs Clinton lost to another man she did not like and who admits that others do not like him either. President Trump told the Israeli-American Council National Summit last month: “You have to vote for me, you have no choice … You’re not going to vote for the wealth tax … Yeah, let’s take 100 per cent of your wealth away. No, no. Even if you don’t like me, some of you don’t. Some of you I don’t like at all actually. And you’re going to be my biggest supporters because you’d be out of business in about 15 minutes if they [the Democrats] get it,” Mr Trump said.

Mr Sanders returned to Washington on Tuesday to sit as a juror in the impeachment trial. Last night, in an appeal for unity, he tweeted: “One year from today we will swear in a new president. When we stand together, when we reject the forces of greed, hatred and bigotry, we can be incredibly powerful.”

The Times