Sen. Bernie Sanders nearly stormed off the set during an interview on ABC Sunday.
Sanders lost his temper when host Jonathan Karl asked about the possibility of Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez running to replace Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, who has faced a massive backlash from Democrats after voting for a GOP-backed spending bill.
“You want to do nonsense, do nonsense!” Sanders said from off-screen after standing up to leave.
“I don’t want to talk about inside-the-Beltway stuff,” he added as Karl implored him to stay.
The interviewer insisted he had only asked about Ocasio-Cortez because the pair had appeared at a series of political events together in the last week. Sanders only took his seat after Karl assured him his following question would be about Sanders himself.
Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez hit the road last week for a series of rallies “Fighting Oligarchy” at college campuses and in different swing districts across Colorado, Arizona, and Nevada. A gathering in Denver, Colo., on Saturday drew an estimated 30,000 people.
“This nation was built by working people, and we’re not going to let a handful of billionaires run the government,” Sanders told the crowd.
Democrats have been embroiled in a civil war since Schumer voted to advance a government-funding bill backed by Republicans last week. Schumer said he had supported the bill to avoid the damaging upheaval of a government shutdown.
In response, dozens of House Democrats penned a letter to Schumer condemning his “capitulation” and perceived failure to “fight against Republican chaos.” Former Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a longtime ally of Schumer’s, remarked, “I myself don’t give away anything for nothing.”
Amid the carnage, California Rep. Ro Khanna has publicly urged Ocasio-Cortez to challenge Schumer for his seat should he run for re-election in 2028.
Sanders appeared reluctant to address Ocasio-Cortez’s leadership prospects, though he did answer the reporter’s question about the future of his own career.
“Right now, I’m Vermont Senator. That’s what I do, and I’m very happy to do it,” he said. “I am 83 years of age. So… and I’m tired!”
