Watters on Sanders' campaign objecting to media coverage
Watters on Sanders' campaign objecting to media coverage
Staffers for Sen. Bernie Sanders', I-Vt., Democratic presidential campaign are correct to call out the media for what they perceive as bias, according to Jesse Watters.
Sanders, however, could be more forceful at key times during his campaign, Watters claimed Wednesday on "The Five."
"I can't believe I'm saying this, but Bernie is right," he said.
"He gets a raw deal. They're biased against him. They were biased in 2016.
"He's consistently polled at number two nationally. He's raised more money than any other Democrat."
Earlier this week, Sanders' 2020 campaign manager Faiz Shakir told Politico many reporters personally dislike the Vermont lawmaker and let their opinions show.
"This isn't intended to be a sweeping generalization of all journalists," he said.
“But, there are a healthy number who just find Bernie annoying, discount his seriousness, and wish his supporters and movement would just go away.”
However, while he agreed to an extent, Watters said Sanders hasn't always put his best foot forward in his push for the White House.
"He whiffed at the debate and let Kamala steal everyone's thunder," he said, referring to how Sen. Harris, D-Calif., sparred with former Vice President Joe Biden over his legislative cooperation with segregationist lawmakers in the 1970s.
"He didn't contrast himself against the front-runner."
Watters suggested Sanders would have been better served to declare himself, "the original socialist" in the contemporary Democratic Party and not let other contenders claim the progressive ground.
He added he believed no matter Sanders' or his staff's opinions of media coverage, the senator, "would get shredded" by President Trump on Election Day in a head-to-head matchup.
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