Sen. Bernie Sanders distanced himself from prior praise of Tulsi Gabbard when CNN’s Kaitlan Collins pressed him about Gabbard’s new role overseeing election security. The question comes amid a recent FBI search of a Fulton County election hub, though officials say Gabbard is not part of that probe. Sanders said his compliments were "way back when," noted Gabbard left the Democratic Party in 2022, and accused the White House of using her for political advantage ahead of the midterms.
Bernie Sanders Distances Himself From Past Praise Of Tulsi Gabbard: "That Was Way Back When"
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) sought to distance himself from earlier praise of Tulsi Gabbard when CNN’s Kaitlan Collins pressed him about Gabbard’s new role overseeing election security for the administration.
During Tuesday’s broadcast of The Source, Collins highlighted the timing of Gabbard’s assignment amid heightened scrutiny of federal election-related investigations — including a recent FBI search at an election hub in Fulton County, Georgia, where agents seized records.
Officials have said Gabbard is not involved in the Georgia probe, but critics worry the White House’s move could be politically charged ahead of the midterm elections. Collins also noted that President Donald Trump continues to assert, without evidence, that the 2020 election was fraudulent and recently suggested in an interview with former FBI deputy director Dan Bongino that some contests might need to be “nationalized” to prevent alleged corruption.
Collins cited Sanders’s past compliments about Gabbard: “She’s someone that you’ve called before a courageous leader, a great friend. I don’t know if you would describe her that way.” Sanders responded, "That was way back when, that was a few years ago," signaling a clear distancing from his earlier remarks.
Once allies on certain issues, Gabbard and Sanders have since diverged: Gabbard left the Democratic Party in 2022 and has moved closer to President Trump’s circle. Sanders told Collins he believes the White House is using Gabbard to "create a political situation where [Trump] won’t lose in one way or another" during the midterms.
“I’m sorry, I think they understand that more and more Americans, not just progressives, not just moderates, there are conservatives who say, hey, we don’t want to see masked troops, federal agents, in Minneapolis breaking down doors and shooting people. This is not what America is about. And Trump is on the defensive. I think the polling is pretty clear. His numbers are going down. Everything being equal. I think the Democrats are going to regain control over the House, maybe the Senate. And what he is now figuring out is how can he create a political situation where he won’t lose in one way or another. And I think that is scary stuff and we’ve got to fight it every step of the way.”
The exchange underscores broader tensions over election administration, federal involvement in local probes, and the political stakes as both parties prepare for the midterm contests. Sanders’s remarks were broadcast on CNN’s The Source.
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