Sen. Bernie Sanders (I., Vt.) declared Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D., Mass.) to be supported by the Democratic Party's "corporate wing" Wednesday in response to a report that moderates are warming to her candidacy.
Politico reported on Warren as a potential compromise nominee, as Third Way Democrats and other less liberal Democrats voiced approval of the candidate once viewed as too much of a left-wing populist by the party's centrists.
Sanders linked to the article and tweeted, "The cat is out of the bag. The corporate wing of the Democratic Party is publicly 'anybody but Bernie.' They know our progressive agenda of Medicare for All, breaking up big banks, taking on drug companies and raising wages is the real threat to the billionaire class."
The cat is out of the bag. The corporate wing of the Democratic Party is publicly "anybody but Bernie." They know our progressive agenda of Medicare for All, breaking up big banks, taking on drug companies and raising wages is the real threat to the billionaire class. https://t.co/zimci7JRO6
— Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) June 19, 2019
Sanders campaign manager Faiz Shakir blasted the Third Way think tank in a tweet Wednesday, writing it took "Wall Street Money" and "changes nothing" with regard to policy.
"Third Way's approach antagonizes no one, stands up to nobody and changes nothing. This is a Washington think tank that takes Wall Street money, so if @ThirdWayTweet is the opposition to @BernieSanders' campaign, which is leading Trump in poll after poll, we welcome the contrast," he wrote.
Third Way's approach antagonizes no one, stands up to nobody and changes nothing. This is a Washington think tank that takes Wall Street money, so if @ThirdWayTweet is the opposition to @BernieSanders' campaign, which is leading Trump in poll after poll, we welcome the contrast.
— Faiz (@fshakir) June 19, 2019
Warren and Sanders are neck-and-neck in early polling for second place behind former vice president Joe Biden in the Democratic race. They have similar left-wing populist economic messages and policy goals, such as hiking the minimum wage, tuition-free public colleges, canceling student debt, and aggressive Wall Street oversight.
They identify themselves differently, however, with Warren calling herself a capitalist down to her "bones" who wants markets to work more fairly. Sanders refers to himself as a democratic socialist.
Fox News host Chris Wallace asked Sanders about why he was a better choice than Warren on Sunday. Sanders replied Warren was a friend and "great senator" before pivoting to talking points about creating a political revolution to bring about his vision of progressive change.