Bernie Sanders Appears On ABC’s ‘This Week’
Senator Bernie Sanders abruptly attempted to end a nationally televised interview on Sunday after being asked whether Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) should consider challenging Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer in a future Senate race—a question that triggered a visibly sharp reaction from the Vermont senator.
The moment occurred during ABC’s This Week with co-anchor Jonathan Karl, who pressed Sanders on Ocasio-Cortez’s political trajectory following their joint appearance at a Denver rally.
Initially, the conversation remained focused on the broader success of the progressive movement, with Sanders praising the growing strength of the House Progressive Caucus, which he helped found. He lauded Ocasio-Cortez as “extraordinary,” noting her influence in energizing young voters and calling her a “hard-working” force in Congress.
But when Karl transitioned from general praise to specifics—namely, whether Sanders would like to see Ocasio-Cortez in the Senate—the tone of the interview shifted abruptly.
“I—right now we have, as I said, just a whole lot of people in the Congress. OK, Jonathan, thanks,” Sanders said, abruptly rising from his chair, clearly signaling the interview was over.
Karl attempted to continue, calling after Sanders and noting that he had one final, more personal question, but Sanders shot back: “No, you want to do nonsense. Do nonsense.”
He added, “I don’t want to talk about inside the Beltway stuff. I got 32,000 people—” before being cut off again. Karl defended his line of questioning, pointing out the relevance of asking about Ocasio-Cortez, especially given her recent public alignment with Sanders.
The tension eventually subsided enough for Sanders to return to his seat and answer Karl’s final question about his own future. While dismissing any further presidential ambitions, Sanders confirmed he would not be running again, citing his age and expressing satisfaction with serving Vermont in the Senate after winning reelection with 63% of the vote.