Presidential candidate Sen. Michael Bennet (D., Colo.) on Monday took aim at Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D., Mass.) for being dishonest about her Medicare for All plan, blasting her as a "coastal elite" whose plans "don't make sense in the middle of America."
"I think she's not being honest about her plan," Bennet said during an appearance on CNN.
He accused Warren of relying on a soundbite instead of explaining to the American people whether her plan will require a massive tax increase.
"Something for nothing is just an empty promise," Bennet said. "We've had enough of those out of Washington, D.C., and I think we've had enough of those from the coastal elites who come up with these ideas that don't make sense in the middle of America."
Bennet, who is staying in the presidential race despite consistently low poll numbers, commended Sen. Bernie Sanders (I., Vt.) for being honest about how he will pay for his health care plan.
"I've been saying that for months, that everybody except Bernie is lying about Bernie's plan," Bennet told CNN host Jim Sciutto. "Bernie has said that it will cost $31 trillion. He's come up with 16 of that $31 trillion. That's half. And he does that by taxing people that are making less than $30,000 a year."
"But at least he's being honest about his plan," Bennet said. "Others that have signed on have said, sort of magically, this will all take care of itself."
He also warned that embracing Medicare for All could help President Donald Trump get reelected.
Bennet's criticism echoed other Democratic candidates who attacked Warren for evading questions about her health care plan at the most recent Democratic debate. Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D., Minn.) said Warren was being dishonest about who was going to pay for Medicare for All, accusing the Massachusetts senator of "making Republican talking points" with her health care proposal.
South Bend, Ind., mayor Pete Buttigieg (D.) also blasted Warren for failing to consider voters in the Midwest who are "frustrated" with overpromising from Capitol Hill.