“It doesn’t make me feel good to feel this way, but they’re some of the biggest a**holes in American politics.”
These were the words Bernie Sanders’, I-Vt. campaign manager, Michael Briggs, used to describe former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and her team.
And this wasn’t during the heated 2016 presidential primary. This was just over the weekend.
It seems that two years later, there is bad blood still festering between Sanders camp and the Clintons.
Things have always been terse since Sanders decided to challenge Hillary in the 2016 Democratic primary. They reignited over the weekend when Hillary’s team decided to send a shot at Sanders.
Clinton staffers leaked information to the media about the Vermont senator, criticizing his use of private flights — using Democratic donor cash — after Hillary secured the Democratic presidential nomination. These flights cost Hillary near $100,000, according to a report by Politico. Apparently, Sanders’ sky high air travel costs became a running joke around Hillary campaign office.
They were upset that Sanders demanded such special, luxurious treatment from their campaign coffers. Despite being a multi-millionaire, Sanders wouldn’t pay his own expenses.
And the total cost was huge. Sanders took a private airplane to almost everyone of the 39 rallies across 13 states over the final three months leading up to the presidential election, according to Sanders’ Spokesperson Arianna Jones.
Jones said the expensive airfare was really an example of the socialist leader’s selflessness.
“Senator Sanders campaigned so aggressively for Secretary Clinton, at such a grueling pace, it became a story unto itself, setting the model for how a former opponent can support a nominee in a general election.”
Of course, once he had the taste of the good life, the outspoken socialist hasn’t let it go. “In the two years following the presidential election, Sanders continued his frequent private jet travel, spending at least $342,000 on the flights,” Politico reported.
Apparently, Sanders’ sky high air travel costs became a running joke around the Hillary campaign office — and it seems that the Clintons and their allies are still bitter about it.
Briggs, who flew with Sanders during the socialist leader’s last minute crusade against President Donald Trump, had some choice words in retrospect, calling them all “total ingrates.”
“You can see why she’s one of the most disliked politicians in America,” Briggs said. “She’s not nice. Her people are not nice. [Sanders] busted his tail to fly all over the country to talk about why it made sense to elect Hillary Clinton and the thanks that [we] get is this kind of petty stupid sniping a couple years after the fact.”
Ouch.
But some inside pundits say this ruckus may have nothing to do with petty flights and gas mileage.
Hillary may just be bitter that she lost the presidential election, blaming the Vermont socialist dragging her name through the mud prior to the 2016 general election.
And in 2020, it’ll be Sanders once again in front of the bright lights, racing to secure the nomination.
Only time will tell if Hillary has more revenge plots up her sleeve.
— The Horn editorial team