Sen. Bernie Sanders’s (I-Vt.) brother on Friday defended his younger sibling’s presidential candidacy against electability concerns, saying that “Bernard is Trump’s nightmare.”
Larry Sanders, 84, is a current of the United Kingdom resident and has previously run for British parliament.
Larry Sanders told CNN during an interview that voters should be wary of former Vice President Joe Biden’s recent surge in the polls.
He opined that Biden was “a symbol of people who don’t really care very much,” according to the news source.
Larry Sanders’s comments come as the former vice president has established himself as the Democratic primary front-runner in the race to the nomination.
A decisive, swift win in the South Carolina primary as well as a surprising tally of 10 states during the Super Tuesday nominating contests earlier this week have turned potential voters’ heads in the direction of the Biden camp.
Both Bernie Sanders and Biden have competed for the top spot in the field, hitting highs and lows in terms of support throughout the 2020 primary race. Shortly before Super Tuesday, Sanders appeared to be the front-runner, competing well in Iowa and earning wins in both New Hampshire and Nevada. The Vermont senator won four out of the 14 states on Super Tuesday.
Larry Sanders also defended his brother’s comments on Cuban socialist policies after the senator praised literacy programs implemented by the late Fidel Castro. Bernie Sanders’s comments have drawn scrutiny from both Democrats and Republicans as the senator continues on the path to the nomination.
“Castro’s Cuba did do good things for people. Bernard has never for one moment thought it was a good place to live, because he doesn’t like to live in a totalitarian society,” Larry Sanders said, according to CNN. “But the fact that people lived longer is worth noting.”
Larry Sanders also added that he does not “see any evidence whatever” of the claims that there is a harassing “Bernie bro” culture among his brother’s supporters. He made a point of noting that he is “definitely not” a “Bernie bro.”
Bernie Sanders and Biden are two of the only three candidates left in the Democratic race. Earlier this week, former South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg, Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), billionaire and former New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg and most recently Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) have all ended their 2020 bids.
Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-Hawaii) is the only other candidate remaining in the race, though she has failed to gain much traction thus far.
Sanders will face off against Biden as voters head to the polls yet again on March 10, when another state with a significant number of delegates, Michigan, is up for grabs.