Bernie: I Was Not Being Sexist Toward Hillary at Debate

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) pushed back against Hillary Clinton’s claims that he was being sexist in the Democratic presidential debate.

While sparring over gun control during the CNN event in Las Vegas, Sanders said, “As a Senator from a rural state, what I can tell Secretary Clinton, that all the shouting in the world is not going to do what I would hope all of us want, and that is keep guns out of the hands of people who should not have those guns and end this horrible violence that we are seeing.”

At the Jefferson-Jackson Dinner in Iowa over the weekend, Clinton told the audience of Dems that she’s “been told to stop shouting about ending gun violence.”

“Well, I haven’t been shouting, but sometimes when a woman speaks out, some people think it’s shouting,” she said. “But I won’t be silenced, and I hope you won’t be either.  How many more people have to die before we take action?”

On CNN Sunday, Sanders clarified, “What I was talking about, clearly, across this country you’ve got people shouting at each other.”

Clinton’s characterization of sexism is “wrong,” he stressed.

“All that I can say is I am very proud of my record on women’s issues. I certainly do not have a problem with women speaking out. And I think what the secretary is doing there is taking words and misapplying them,” Sanders said.

“What I was saying is if we are going make some progress on dealing with these horrific massacres that we’re seeing, is that people have got to stop all over this country talking to each other. It’s not Hillary Clinton. You have some people who are shouting at other people all across this country. You know that. This nation is divided on this issue,” he continued.

“What I have said is I think there is a consensus out there that talks about banning assault weapons, that talks about expanding background checks, that talks about doing away with the gun show loophole, doing — making sure that the strawman situation becomes federal law and we make sure that guns do not get into the hands of people who should not have them. That we deal with the mental health crisis.”

Clinton released a new ad today in Iowa and New Hampshire to make “clear that she will do everything she can to make sure that every woman in America is paid fairly,” her campaign said.

“Clinton has fought for women, girls and families throughout her career, and as president she will continue to speak out for them, fight for equal pay and work to raise wages for all Americans,” added her campaign.