Warren hits out at ‘bully’ supporters United States
As she exited the US presidential race, Elizabeth Warren took a swipe at the ‘‘bullying’’ and ‘‘online nastiness’’ of supporters of Bernie Sanders, and said presidential candidates were responsible for the actions of their supporters who did ‘‘dangerous, threatening things to other candidates’’.
‘‘It’s not just about me. There’s a real problem with this online bullying and sort of online nastiness,’’ the Massachusetts Democratic senator told MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow when asked about Sanders supporters’ online attacks on her.
Maddow referenced Sanders supporters calling Warren a ‘‘snake’’ and a ‘‘traitor’’, and attempting to recruit a primary challenger against her.
Warren cited Sanders supporters’ attacks on ‘‘women of colour, immigrant women’’ who led a union in Nevada. ‘‘They actually published the phone numbers and home addresses of two women . . . and really put them in fear.’’
Sanders told Maddow earlier that he was ‘‘aghast and disgusted’’ by his supporters’ actions. Warren thought his explanation was not enough.
‘‘We are responsible for the people who claim to be our supporters and do really dangerous, threatening things to other candidates,’’ Warrren said.
Asked if the online rhetoric was a ‘‘particular problem with Sanders supporters’’, she replied: ‘‘It is.’’
Warren said democracy was built on ‘‘a fundamental human decency and respect for each other’’. She urged other candidates not to follow the ‘‘politics of division’’ waged by US President Donald Trump.
‘‘To the extent I have any power to control that, I do what I can, and I call on others to do the same, and I think we have to have some accountability around that,’’ she said. After a disappointing finish on Super Tuesday, including a thirdplace result in her home state of Massachusetts, Warren suspended her presidential campaign on Friday.
Both Sanders and former US vice-president Joe Biden have spoken with Warren since she exited the race. However, when she was asked about a possible endorsement, or what she would tell her followers to do, she said she wanted to ‘‘take a deep breath and spend a little time on that’’ before making a decision.