Sanders takes swing at Trump at last South Carolina stop
Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders on Friday, during his last campaign event in South Carolina before Saturday’s Democratic presidential primary, took a swing at the president for campaigning in North Charleston, South Carolina rather than working on the coronavirus crisis.
“One might think that in the midst of a major health care crisis the President of the United States would be assembling doctors, scientists and researchers,” Sanders said. “Not Donald Trump. He is here in South Carolina for one reason. To disrupt the Democratic primary … He hopes he could get a little media attention taken away from the Democratic candidates. How petty, how pathetic is that?”
“So I say to Donald Trump ... start worrying about the coronavirus and health care crisis in America. Do your job as president,” Sanders said to the joyous crowd at Finlay Park waiving Bernie Sanders signs.
Sanders has no scheduled appearances in South Carolina on Saturday at this time.
Sanders who lost by 47 points in the 2016 South Carolina to former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, is looking for a better showing this year from Palmetto State voters. He may be helped by the presence of a larger field that includes former Vice President Joe Biden, Tom Steyer, former South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg, Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Amy Klobuchar, and Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard.
Sanders continued his push back against the belief that he can’t beat Trump in November, arguing that he has beaten the president in 56 of the 60 national polls and that he beats Trump in key swing states of Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin.
Doing well in the South Carolina Democratic primary means getting support from African Americans who make up two-thirds of the Democratic primary electorate.
A prominent African American in the community confirmed Friday that he had voted for Sanders.
David Swinton, the former president of Benedict College confirmed to the State he voted early for the Vermont Independent. Swinton said he liked the policies Sanders wants to push to address expanding inequality in the country.
“I don’t think we’re going to move the country forward without having some different direction,” Swinton said. “I don’t think the conventional politicians are going to make much difference in what we have in this country.”
Devin Griffin, 23, of Rock Hill, a machinist, attended the rally and said he is concerned about health insurance issues citing his grandmother who is living with dementia, and how his family could not afford in home care for her.
“I’ve watched the rest of my family fight with the hospitals over and over trying to get good health care for her,” said Griffin, who likes Sanders’ Medicare for All policy. “I feel like it’s something we have to do. The cost isn’t as much as the moral responsibility to do it.”
This story was originally published February 28, 2020 at 5:18 PM.
