A discussion between Symone Sanders, a former spokeswoman for the Bernie Sanders campaign and former New York Lt. Gov. Betsy McCaughey devolved into a shouting match Saturday, when McCaughey accused “people like” Sanders of “making false accusations of racism.”
Her comments came after Sanders, who supported Hillary Clinton, told CNN’s Martin Savidge that “emotions were still high” after the election.
“I think on both sides, it was a really nasty general election campaign. We were having conversations, and still are, about white supremacy, and racism,” Sanders said.
A furious McCaughey, who voted for President-elect Donald Trump, disagreed.
“People like Symone are still making false accusations of racism,” she said, before going on to accuse Democrats of “behaving like racists themselves” in their critique of Sen. Jeff Sessions, Trump’s pick for attorney general.
“He is a civil rights hero,” McCaughey said. “And yet right away, they try today to accuse him of being a racist. I even hear some people say that a white person should not lead the Democratic Party. What could be more racist than that? One reason Donald Trump won is that Americans are sick and tired of reverse racism. And that’s what they heard from Hillary Clinton.”
“Do you know what, Betsy — I’m sorry. We’ve got to cut this out,” Sanders responded, adding that people of color in the US are “victims of systemic racism.”
“I really think it’s important to note that while the Trump campaign, yes, they won. Donald Trump is going to be the next president. There are still some real underlying issues. … These are things people in America are still dealing with. That’s why we’re having conversations about racism and white supremacy. And the Trump campaign and the Republicans have to at least own that, so we can move forward” she added.
“We don’t own it because those accusations of white racism are false,” McCaughey said.
“Is there a way, Symone, Betsy, is there a way you can listen to a counterargument, not shout back,” Savidge asked.
“I did listen to it,” McCaughey said. “But I don’t appreciate the accusations of racism. Because they are untrue and the only reason that people like Symone constantly label their opponents as racists is they don’t have an argument they can win on the merits.”
Sanders responded, “Betsy just ‘these peopled’ me.”