Elizabeth Warren slams ‘Bernie Bros’ for ‘online bullying’ Sanders’ rivals and insists candidates are ‘responsible’ for the ‘threatening, ugly, dangerous things’ their supporters do
- Senator from Massachusetts bowed out of presidential race on Thursday
- Warren had disappointing finish in several Super Tuesday primary contests
- She would not commit to endorsing either Joe Biden or Bernie Sanders
- Warren told MSNBC that supporters of Sanders have been abusive online
Elizabeth Warren has accused some Bernie Sanders’ supporters of doxxing and threatening women who backed her failed presidential campaign.
The senator from Massachusetts accused the ‘Bernie Bros’ – a nickname given to hardcore supporters of the Democratic candidate who are active on social media – of ‘some really ugly stuff,’ including an ‘onslaught of online threats.’
Warren, who dropped out of the 2020 presidential race on Thursday after her disappointing results in the Super Tuesday primary contests across the country, told MSNBC that her allies were terrorized by Sanders backers.
She started the interview by noting that she and Sanders have been friends for years.
Senator Elizabeth Warren (left) says that online supporters of Bernie Sanders (right) have been threatening women who endorsed her during the presidential campaign
Since dropping out of the race on Thursday, Sanders is believed to be courting Warren’s endorsement, which she has so far declined to give.
In her interview with MSNBC, however, Warren took umbrage with what she claims is vitriol from Sanders’ online supporters.
‘I think there’s a real problem with online bullying and online nastiness,’ the senator told Rachel Maddow.
‘I’m not just talking about who said mean things; I’m talking about some really ugly stuff that went on.’
‘Working Families Party, two women there, women of color … were attacked right after they endorsed me,’ Warren told Rachel Maddow.
Sanders has been criticized for alleged online harassment by his supporters against the candidate’s rivals. Sanders supporters are seen above during a rally in Detroit on Friday
‘[Bernie supporters] actually published the phone numbers and home addresses of the two women, the executive director and the communications director [of the UNITE HERE labor union in Nevada]…and really put them in fear for their families,’ she said.
Warren said those who were targeted are ‘tough women, tough women who’ve run labor organizing campaigns, and really earned their jobs…the hard way, and yet, said for the first time because of this onslaught of online threats, that they felt really under attack.’
Maddow asked Warren if she was convinced by Sanders’ disavowal of the ‘Bernie Bros.’
So-called ‘Bernie Bros’ online have been known to use the snake emoji – apparently due to anger at the Massachusetts senator over her criticism of Sanders
‘We are responsible for the people who claim to be our supporters and do really dangerous, threatening things to other candidates,’ Warren said.
When asked if this was a problem unique to Sanders, the democratic socialist from Vermont, Warren said: ‘It is. And it just is. It’s just a factual question.’
The term ‘Bernie Bros’ became popular during the hotly contested 2016 Democratic primary, when supporters of Hillary Clinton, the eventual nominee, accused Sanders supporters of sexist attacks.
Sanders on Wednesday told MSNBC’s Maddow that he distanced himself from the ‘Bernie Bros.’
‘We don’t need ugly, personal attacks against Senator Warren, or anyone else for that measure,’ Sanders said.
The senator from Vermont said he was in favor of ‘vigorous debates’ about the issues and that he was ‘absolutely aghast’ and ‘disgusted’ with reported threats online.
When asked about his relationship with Warren, Sanders said that they were ‘cordial.’ He would not offer specifics as to whether he asked her to endorse him.