Sen. Bernie Sanders (I., Vt.) was visibly frustrated Thursday night when CNN host Chris Cuomo attempted to guide their conversation about Sanders' new book towards speculation that he might run again in the 2020 presidential election.
"The book is a guide. It is a message, but it begs the question sir, who is the messenger? Who is the warrior of the light to bring this to the American people and make it happen?" Cuomo said.
He went on to say there are two schools of thought about who the messenger of the Democratic Party is in the book. He said one school of thought is that the messenger is Sanders, and the other thought is that it cannot be Sanders because he is "too old."
Sanders disagreed with there only being "two schools" of thought.
"There is a third school of thought, Chris, and that is that the media never ever gives up, and instead of focusing on real issues they keep talking about never-ending campaigns," Sanders said. "Chris, honestly you've heard me say this before."
Cuomo and Sanders then went back and forth with Cuomo saying he was not satisfied with how Sanders answered the question about whether he will run in 2020.
"It matters who runs," Cuomo said. "It matters who fights the fight."
Sanders, who ran as a Democrat in the 2016 presidential election, agreed candidates matter, but said it is not necessary to have never-ending elections in the United States, and when it comes to campaigns currently, "it never ends."
"We never stop elections. People are sick and tired of it," Sanders said. "They [Sanders supporters] want me to go back to Washington to deal with climate change, to deal with health care, to deal with education, to deal with issues that impact their lives. They do not want to see never-ending elections."
Sanders said he does not know what he will be doing in 2020 because it is a "long way away from an election," and it is "much too early" to make a decision.
"The book reads like a campaign manual," Cuomo said. "That's all I'm saying, senator. You can yell at me all you want. I still think what I think."
Sanders said he was not yelling at Cuomo, and that he "loves him." He went on to emphasize the importance of readers not thinking of the book as championing a particular person, saying it is about "the need for millions of people to become involved in the political process."