Sanders casts doubt on possible Trump ticket

Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders says he’s surging and can win because he’s “treating the American people with intelligence” while denouncing the racially charged rhetoric of Republican rivals.

In an exclusive sit-down interview with the Herald at Franklin Pierce University in Manchester, N.H., on Saturday, the self-described “democratic socialist” said, “We are treating the American people with intelligence. When I give speeches, we discuss … the growing income inequality and the morality, the justice, of a nation in which the top one-tenth of one percent own almost as much wealth as the bottom 90 percent.”

“Would Donald Trump be my VP choice?” Sanders asked sarcastically, referring to speculation the two anti-establishment candidates could find enough common ground to merge their campaigns. “Hmm, probably not.

“What concerns me about the way he is doing it is to tap that anger and say look, ‘You see all these Mexicans’ … something to the effect that Mexicans are rapists,” Sanders said. “To tap into those kinds of base instincts I find very disturbing.”

But Sanders said he agrees with Trump that hedge-fund managers should be taxed at a higher rate, adding both campaigns have been boosted by a fundamental anger in America.

Yesterday, Sanders denounced GOP candidate Ben Carson’s comments on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” where Carson described Islam as inconsistent with the Constitution, saying, “I would not advocate that we put a Muslim in charge of this nation.” Sanders said, “It took us too long to overcome the prejudice against electing a Catholic or an African-American president. People should be elected to office based on their ideas, not their religion or the color of their skin.”

Meanwhile, Sanders told the Herald he would “be honored” to have U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren working with him if he gets his party’s nomination.

“Liz Warren is one of the strongest advocates for working people in this country,” Sanders said. “I would be honored to have her, in one way or another, working with me.”

Sanders has led former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in several recent polls, and his campaign’s focus is expanding to include increased efforts in Super Tuesday states such as Massachusetts.

“We are going to work it really hard,” Sanders said. “We think we stand a very good chance to win Massachusetts and a number of other states on Super Tuesday.”