Bernie Sanders accused Hillary Clinton Friday of trying to portray him as weak on abortion rights, charging that she had taken his recent remarks out of context.
On Thursday, Clinton hit Sanders in a speech for his response to Trump’s abortion, saying to a booing crowd, “Sen. Sanders agreed that Donald Trump’s comments were shameful, but then he said they were a distraction from, and I quote, ‘a serious discussion about the serious issues facing America.'”
In response to Trump’s comments regarding punishment for women who have abortions, Sanders said Wednesday, that he disavowed the remarks but then questioned why they were dominating the political conversation.
“Because media is what media is today, any stupid, absurd remark made by Donald Trump becomes the story of the week,” Sanders told MSNBC. “Maybe, just maybe, we might want to have a serious discussion about the serious issues facing America.”
In an interview on ABC’s “Good Morning America” on Friday, Sanders said that “what Secretary Clinton did is take things out of context.”
“I’ve been spending my political life fighting for the right of women to control her own body,” Sanders argued. “I have 100% voting record pro-choice voting record, and if elected president… (I will) continue to defend the woman’s right to choose.”
Sanders was also asked about supporters of his who confronted Clinton at a rally on Thursday over donations to her campaign from employees of the fossil fuel industry.
“I do not have, I have money from people who work for fossil fuel companies,” Clinton said. “I’m so sick. I’m so sick of the Sanders’ campaign lying about me. I’m sick of it.”
“I’m not crazy about people disrupting meetings, but the fact is Secretary Clinton has taken significant sums of money from the fossil fuel industry,” Sanders said.
The Vermont senator then took the opportunity to pivot to his sharp critique of Clinton, saying when it comes to taking on the fossil fuel industry, Wall Street, and drug companies, “if people check the record, they’ll find Bernie Sanders was there a lot earlier than Hillary Clinton.”
