Bernie Sanders Tells Bill Maher That Donald Trump May Use Coronavirus Relief Money To Give Him A Bump In Battleground States

Bernie Sanders warned HBO Real Time host Bill Maher that it’s entirely possible that President Donald Trump will direct coronavirus relief money to states based on whether he needs to win them in the 2020 presidential race.

“If you think that during a campaign, you’re not going to see a lot of money from the Trump administration going to battleground states Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, Florida, you would be grossly underestimating the venality of this president,” Sanders said from Burlington, VT, where he was connected by video chat to Maher, who returned this week to host his HBO from his Los Angeles home.

Maher had asked Sanders how he would “stop a president who send aid to Florida, because he likes the governor there, but not here to California or Illinois or Massachusetts.”

Sanders responded, “It is literally beyond comprehension. We have a president who has done so much harm in this entire process.”

Sanders said that Trump’s downplaying of the crisis “will cost us.”

“His actions or inactions, in not listening to the scientists, spouting off ridiculous ideas, is going to cost the lives of many thousands of America,” he said.

While the governors of Illinois and Massachusetts have criticized or disagreed with Trump’s coronavirus response, California’s Gavin Newsom said earlier this week that the administration had been responsive to the state’s needs.

Maher did not ask Sanders what his plans are for the 2020 race, given that Joe Biden holds a lead of about 300 delegates. In recent days, Sanders has said in other interviews that he and his advisers are “assessing where we’re at,” acknowledging that he has a narrow path to victory.

Sanders talked extensively about how he would ... (Read more)

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