Sanders tussles with Senate challenger over Trump

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and the Republican rival for his Senate seat, Gerald Malloy, got into a back-and-forth over former President Trump during a Wednesday debate.

“Mr. Malloy, Donald Trump lies all of the time,” Sanders said during the debate hosted by local media outlets Vermont Public and VTDigger. “He fomented an insurrection so that, for the first time in American history, we did not have a peaceful transfer of power.”

“He thinks that climate change is a hoax, and he thinks that women in America should not be able to control their own bodies,” Sanders continued. “Just out of curiosity, why are you supporting Donald Trump for president?”

Malloy responded citing his issues with the progressive left.

“I’m supporting President Trump for president because I’ve looked at what the progressive left has done … and you’re part of that, for the last four years,” Malloy responded. “We’ve had 40-year high inflation, record high gas prices. We have two new wars. … We have a wide open southern border.”

Malloy later added that Vermont residents “should be concerned about First, Second and Fourth Amendment rights, because they’re endangered by this next administration, [if] Kamala Harris becomes president.”

Sanders responded that Malloy “didn’t answer the question,” adding that “the question is that you have an individual who lies all of the time —”

“Your opinion,” Malloy cut in.

“Not in my opinion,” Sanders responded. 

The conversation continued, getting increasingly heated, with Malloy stating that “rhetoric” similar to referring to Trump as “a liar” was behind “two assassination attempts” while Sanders yelled that the former president is “a pathological liar.”

Sanders is favored to win the Vermont Senate match-up against Malloy, according to The Hill/Decision Desk HQ election forecast.

The Hill has reached out to the Trump and Harris campaigns for comment.