Sanders ‘worried’ about midterm Democratic turnout, urges focus on economy

“I think again what the Democrats need to do is compare their economic plan with the Republicans. … They want to cut Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid at a time when millions of seniors are struggling to pay their bills,” he said.

“So I think what we need to do is compare what a strong pro-worker Democratic position is with the Republican business agenda,” he added.

Sanders defended the administration’s handling of the post-pandemic economy, which a recent poll shows tops voters’ concerns ahead of the Nov. 8 midterm elections.

“I think it’s important that when we talk about inflation, Republicans say, well, it’s Joe Biden’s fault. Oh good? Our inflation rate is far too high. … Inflation is a global problem caused by broken supply chains, because of the war in Ukraine, and largely by corporate greed,” Sanders said.

“We need an aggressive government that says we are on your side and not on the side of the billionaires,” he added.

Sanders, who chairs the Senate Budget Committee, backed President Joe Biden in his opposition to eliminating the debt ceiling, which is expected to be a key issue if Republicans regain the House and Senate in November. “You have to raise the debt ceiling,” Sanders said.

Responding to Tapper pointing out that crime is second only to inflation in a recent poll of voter concerns, Sanders said crime is a « huge problem » across the country. He advised Democrats to focus on issues like drug addiction « in a smart way, not in a fear-inducing way. »

“Crime is a real problem. Violence is a real problem. I go all over the state of Vermont. There’s a drug problem and drug addiction and drug violence, it’s a huge problem across the country,” Sanders said.

“How do you deal with the growing addiction, the opioid crisis? That means investing in our young people in a good education, in a good job training and making sure we have good law enforcement doing the right job across the country,” he added.