Susan Sarandon, a Bernie Sanders’ surrogate, says Donald Trump would be more likely to usher in “the revolution” than Hillary Clinton.
The actress told MSNBC’s Chris Hayes Monday she doesn’t think she could vote for Clinton in a hypothetical match-up between the two party front-runners.
“I think Bernie would probably encourage people (to support Clinton) because he doesn’t have any ego in this thing. But I think a lot of people are, ‘Sorry, I just can’t bring myself to do that,’ ” Sarandon said of voting for Clinton in the general election. “I don’t know. I’m going to see what happens.”
An incredulous Hayes asked Sarandon if that meant she would vote for Trump.
“Some people feel that Donald Trump will bring the revolution immediately, if he gets in. Then things will really, you know, explode,” Sarandon said, referring to the political “revolution” Sanders preaches about on the trail.
Hayes clarified that Sarandon was referring to the Marxist concept of revolution, in that Trump would create such a split in America that the upheaval would result in dramatic change.
Asked if that was dangerous, Sarandon trashed Clinton’s pitch that she’s a pragmatist, saying that the current situation in the country is unsustainable.
“If you think that it’s pragmatic to shore up the status quo right now, then you’re not in touch with the status quo,” Sarandon said. “The status quo is not working … I think it’s dangerous to think that we can continue the way we are.”
Sarandon later clarified on Twitter that she was not saying she would ever vote for Trump.
“LOL that I would ever vote Trump,” she tweeted late Tuesday with a link to a story that appeared to characterize her comments that way.
Sanders told CNN’s Erin Burnett on “OutFront” Tuesday night that Trump has been encouraging violence with his campaign. He nodded to battery charges filed against Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski.
“Let’s see what happens in the legal process. He has been charged and we don’t find people until you go through a process. But my campaign manager does not assault female journalists, let me just say that,” Sanders said.
Asked about the comments from Sarandon — a surrogate for the Sanders campaign who has introduced him at events — top Sanders aide Tad Devine said while the actress has “got every right” to her opinion, he would still vote for Clinton if she beats Sanders.
“Me personally? Yeah, of course I would,” Devine told CNN’s Pamela Brown on Tuesday. “And listen, Bernie Sanders … is someone who respects and admires Hillary Clinton, her service and her leadership, and the differences between the two of them pale in comparison to differences between Republicans.”
