Sanders: 'Common sense suggests' Buttigieg would be compromised by wealthy donors

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Sen. Bernie Sanders on boost from Iowa caucuses, tight race for New Hampshire, 'Democratic-socialist' label

Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders joins Chris Wallace on 'Fox News Sunday.'

Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., fresh off a controversial contest in the Iowa caucuses where he and former South Bend, Ind. Mayor Pete Buttigieg have both claimed victory, continued to take shots at his rival, focusing on Buttigieg’s courtship of wealthy donors for his campaign.

Sanders, who prides himself on relying on smaller contributions from a large number of donors while avoiding the wealthy class, claimed that candidates who take money from rich CEOs would naturally be loath to stand up to them and their corporations while in office.

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"If you do, as Mayor Buttigieg does, take huge amounts of contributions from the CEOS of the pharmaceutical industry, from financiers and fossil fuel industry, from the insurance companies, from Wall Street, does anyone seriously believe that you’re going to stand up to those powerful entities and represent working people?” Sanders asked on “Fox News Sunday."

“I am more interested in transforming this country and lowering the outrageous cost of prescription drugs,” Sanders said.

"I think common sense suggests that when you take money and you’re dependent on billionaires, you’re not going to stand up to them, you’re not going to effectively represent working families," he later added.

Sanders also went after Buttigieg over his campaign's fundraising during Friday’s Democratic debate.

"Unlike some of the folks up here," Sanders said, "I don’t have 40 billionaires, Pete, contributing to my campaign, coming from the pharmaceutical [industry], Wall Street and all the big-money interests."

During a speech at the Shaheen-McIntyre 100 Club Dinner, Buttigieg took aim at Sanders with a line that he first started using on the campaign trail in Iowa a week ago as he highlighted the tough task ahead of trying to defeat President Trump in November’s general election.

“We cannot risk dividing Americans' future further, saying that you must either be for a revolution or you must be for the status quo," Buttigieg said. "Let's make room for everybody in this movement." Sanders has often called for a “political revolution” in the U.S.

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Earlier on "Fox News Sunday," Buttigieg put forth a similar message, saying his campaign is "defined by inclusion," and that means all supporters, regardless of wealth.

Sanders then shifted gears, focusing on his ability to win a general election.

"In many respects, we are a socialist society today," he said, pointing to government programs, including tax breaks and subsidies that President Trump received as a private businessman.

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"He received $800 million in tax breaks and subsidies to build luxury housing in New York," he said.

"The difference between my socialism and Trump's socialism is I believe the government should help working families, not billionaires," he said, suggesting a higher minimum wage and higher taxes on the rich.

Fox News’ Gregg Re and Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report.