Sen. Bernie Sanders (I., Vt.) held an open press conference Monday before California's critical primary but before Sanders could finish his statements and open the floor to the press New York Times reporter Yamiche Alcindor questioned Sanders if it was sexist for him to stay in the race.
Sanders tried to quiet Alcindor five times by saying "excuse me" before giving in and allowing her to finish her question. Sanders had been trying to call on CNN's Jeff Zeleny.
"What do you say to women who say that you staying in the race is sexist and getting in the way of the first female question?" Alcindor asked.
Sanders laughed and asked if it was a serious question, and Alcindor replied that it was.
"Your question implies that any woman, that any person, any person who is running for president is by definition the best candidate," Sanders said. "To say that it is sexist—so if Hillary Clinton runs for president is your point that it is sexist for any man to run to oppose her?"
Alcindor continued on by saying that if Clinton has more delegates after Tuesday and Sanders stayed in the race, would it be sexism?
Sanders said that he did not believe that it was sexism for the campaign to continue on until the Democratic National Convention in July.
Alcindor called the interaction between her and the candidate "testy."
Some women think @BernieSanders will be standing in way of history tmrw if HRC wins & he doesn't concede. He got testy when I asked; Oh well
— Yamiche Alcindor (@Yamiche) June 6, 2016
Alcindor covers social justice and national politics for the Times.