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Sanders on Tim Ryan Saying Democratic Brand Is Worse Than Trump: 'He May Be' Right

June 22, 2017

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I., Vt.) agreed Thursday with Rep. Tim Ryan's (D., Ohio) statement to the New York Times that the Democratic brand is "worse than [President Donald] Trump" during an appearance on CNN.

Host Anderson Cooper asked Sanders whether Ryan was correct to make the assertion about the Democratic Party.

"He may be," Sanders said. "Look, I speak as the longest-serving independent in American congressional history. The Democratic brand is pretty bad. I think the Trump brand is also pretty bad, as is the Republican brand."

He went on to say that political brands are the reason why "so many people are giving up on politics."

"They are looking in Washington and with the average American, and say 'I'm in a lot of pain. My kid cannot afford to go to college. I'm making ten bucks an hour. What are you going to do for me?'... And they don't hear much coming out of Washington," he said.

Ryan has been increasingly vocal about his concerns regarding the future of the Democratic Party. He has criticized House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi's (D., Calif.) leadership. After Democratic candidate Jon Ossoff lost the Georgia special election on Tuesday night, many Democrats have questioned Pelosi's ability to help the party take back the House in 2018.