Sanders hits Trump: Be a ‘model’ for fellow billionaires

by Jesse Byrnes and Rebecca Savransky - 10/06/16 11:39 AM ET

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) hammered Donald Trump over his business record Thursday in a pitch to blue-collar voters on behalf of Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton.

Sanders argued during a rally for Clinton in Dearborn, Mich., that the Republican nominee “is manufacturing his ties in China, his clothing in Mexico, his furniture in Turkey.”

{mosads}”Mr. Trump, you can be an American hero — become a model for your fellow billionaires. Bring those plants back to America,” Sanders said.

Sanders went after Trump for using “manufacturing plants in Bangladesh” and accused the New York businessman of “exploiting poor people” by using cheap labor overseas.

The independent Vermont senator is campaigning for Clinton on Thursday in Michigan, where he pulled out an upset win over her in the Democratic presidential primary in March.

Sanders argued during the rally that the election shouldn’t be “a personality contest” but should be about the “survival of the American middle class.”

“I read the polls. I understand that neither Hillary Clinton nor Donald Trump are particularly popular. I get that. But forget about that for a moment. Take a hard look at the agendas of the campaign, what these candidates stand for,” he said.

“This campaign is not about Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton. It is about you and your families and your kids,” Sanders said.

Sanders also needled Trump, a “multibillionaire” who “owns mansions all over the world,” over his decision not to release his tax returns.

“He does not pay a nickel in federal income taxes, and he’s proud of that. Because he thinks we can just stiff the middle class, you pay taxes,” Sanders said.

He also incorporated Trump’s comments on women in portraying Trump as a divisive figure.

“In this campaign, what Trump is trying to do, trying to win votes, by dividing us up … by every day hurling insults at women that I can’t even repeat,” Sanders said.

“I would be embarrassed. I’ve got them down here, but I’m not going to repeat them. My wife would kill me.”

Sanders was speaking at UAW Local 600 in Dearborn and was scheduled to make campaign stops Thursday at four different locations, according to the Detroit Free Press.

Clinton was shown leading Trump by 11 points, 43 percent to 32 percent, in a Detroit Free Press/WXYZ-TV poll released Thursday.

Tags Bernie Sanders Donald Trump Hillary Clinton Michigan