Donald Trump began his campaign with what many deemed were racist comments aimed at Mexicans, segued to controversial statements about the Black Lives Matter movement and then added a few denigrating comments regarding a couple of well-known women. While the media and most presidential candidates seem to give him a pass over this hate-filled rhetoric, his latest call for banning Muslims from entering the U.S. has drawn much more controversy.
Most recently the push-back has come from a man who is also known for speaking his mind. That man is Vermont senator and Democratic candidate, Bernie Sanders, who had some tough words for Trump. His comments came during an interview with Jimmy Fallon on the Tonight Show. Using terms like “demagogue” to describe Trump, Sanders explained that this is not behavior that is acceptable for the United States.
Sanders stated clearly that Trump’s use of such tactics was an attempt “divide us up.” He used the examples of Trump’s comments about Mexicans, as well as his plan for banning Muslims as proof of his pattern of dangerous statements. Sanders also expressed that he is not concerned with going up against the aggressive Billionaire in the race to the White House. Obviously, in order to do so, Sanders would have to defeat popular candidate, former Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton. This is something he believes he will be successful in accomplishing. Doing so will potentially put him in place to face Trump in a head to head battle, should the reality show star win the Republican nomination.
This potential showdown with Trump does not concern him. In fact, he stated emphatically, “I look forward to beating Donald Trump. I would enjoy that race very, very, much.”
Despite his willingness to take on Trump, Sanders emphatically expressed what his campaign has been about from the start, unity. He made it clear that the best way for everyone to prosper in the United States is to avoid blaming minorities for problems and working together to make the changes necessary. While he may or may not be in a position to directly debate Trump in 2016, it is obvious from his demeanor that he is willing to be a voice for inclusion and peace, rather than the fear and divisiveness Trump seems to prefer.