Sen. Bernie Sanders’s (I-Vt.) former campaign press secretary said Wednesday that her “objective is to push” presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden “into being a better candidate” now that Sanders has dropped out of the race.
Briahna Joy Gray responded on Hill.TV to Sanders’s Tuesday comments that it would be “irresponsible” of his supporters not to vote for the former vice president in the general election against President Trump.
“And that’s not exactly what I’m out to do,” she said. “My objective is to push Joe Biden into being a better candidate, a more electable candidate and a candidate that appeals more to a broad swath of Americans, who we all know — poll after poll — actually support Bernie Sanders’s policies.”
Gray, a contributing editor at Current Affairs, said she wants to “extract some concession out of the leverage” of her vote and endorsement, specifically by getting Biden to acknowledge a majority of Americans back “Medicare for All.”
She said it “isn’t irresponsible. It’s actually doing what duty is incumbent upon all of us as voting participants in this democracy.”
After Sanders’s endorsement of Biden this, Gray tweeted she is not following suit because of his lack of support for Medicare for All, canceling all student debt and implementing a wealth tax.
With the utmost respect for Bernie Sanders, who is an incredible human being & a genuine inspiration, I don’t endorse Joe Biden.
I supported Bernie Sanders because he backed ideas like #MedicareForAll, cancelling ALL student debt, & a wealth tax. Biden supports none of those.
— Briahna Joy Gray (@briebriejoy) April 13, 2020
The Vermont progressive dropped out of the race last week and formally endorsed Biden Monday, saying “We need you in the White House.”
President Obama and Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) endorsed the former vice president in the two days following.
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