Sanders breaks with Democrats, praises Trump's border policy on podcast

[RandySF]

(TNND) — Sen. Bernie Sanders broke with much of his party in a recent podcast appearance, praising President Donald Trump’s border policy while criticizing President Biden’s handling of immigration.

He went on to argue that securing the U.S. border “ain’t that hard to do,” and declared that “Trump did a better job. I don’t like Trump, you know, but we should have a secure border Biden didn’t do it.”

The remarks aired on The Tim Dillon Show and quickly caught attention after being shared widely on social media.

Sanders acknowledged that he’s been critical of “open borders” rhetoric in past campaigns, including in 2020, and said that while the U.S. has the “technology and manpower” to secure the border, leaders on both sides have failed to enforce the laws.


https://abc45.com/news/nation-world/sanders-breaks-with-democrats-praises-trumps-border-policy-on-podcast-donald-trump-joe-biden-vermont-bernie-2020-campaign-security-the-tim-dillon-show-social-media

[Jack Valentino]

1. Bernie is even older than Biden or Trump....

I don't disagree that we ought to have control over our border,
but I won't praise the Hitler-wannabe for anything positive he has done
when the immense number of negatives make anything possibly positive
extremely difficult to recall...

but then again, this story is trying to drag one comment out of a podcast discussion
and make it the 'whole narrative' of this post...

and I dispute the framing of the OP 'subject line'
which classifies this as a 'break' with Democrats---

Since when do DEMOCRATS oppose having control over our borders???

This is an adoption of Republican 'framing' of the immigration issue,
which would portray Bernie Sanders in a negative light
over one comment he made in a podcast...

Sanders is never going to run for president again, and if he did he wouldn't be taken seriously
because of his advanced age...

Past time for *some people* to move beyond their 2016 grudges....

[Cha]

8. "Hitler wannabe".. made the gop shutdown

down Pres Biden's Bill so he could pass it.

https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=20755016

[RandySF]

9. He said this in 2025, not 2016.

[Jack Valentino]

13. YEAH, and he is a lot older in 2025 than he was in 2016

as are you and I...

but he isn't quite as fucked up with age, as are some other people (like Trump)


Go back and read my entire post again, mi amigo.

[leftstreet]

2. Politicians exploited the issue too long

Sanders is right that securing the border was never that hard to do

But it was red meat for campaigns

[cliffside]

3. Bernie Sanders The Tim Dillon Show - You can hear the question and full answer ...

starts after the 27 minute mark and goes on for 10 minutes or read the transcript.

[Prairie Gates]

4. Sounds like the bosses are calling in their chits

[2naSalit]

5. Are you sure it's not AI?

[Cha]

6. "'Doing nothing is not an option': Biden blasts Republicans as border deal appears dead"

As a bipartisan deal to secure the U.S.-Mexico border and provide military aid to Ukraine and Israel appeared doomed Tuesday, President Joe Biden pleaded for Republicans in Congress to “reconsider blowing this up.”

The speech came shortly before Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., declared the bill all but dead, saying at a GOP leadership press conference that due to House GOP opposition, "we have no real chance here to make a law."

The president accused GOP lawmakers of “caving” to former President Donald Trump, the front-runner for the Republican nomination who has urged Republicans to reject the bill.

https://ny1.com/nyc/all-boroughs/politics/2024/02/06/president-joe-biden-republicans-bipartisan-border-deal

Why is Sanders Blaming Pres Joe Biden.. Fuckhead Traitor made the Fascist Fucks Kill the Bill So he could pass it.

[B.See]

20. I like Bernie and a lot of things he says, BUT

this is one time when I wish he'd have been more comprehensive in his remarks, not by praising Trump but by pointing out all the ways Trump and his MAGAS (even before him) have tried to undermine any REAL efforts at immigration reform, for decades.

Would've also been nice if he'd noted how, IF this was about immigration, then the rules should apply to everyone.

Because, the fact that the fascist in Chief is sending masked thugs into inner cities to round up Black and Brown men, women, and children, while extending open arms to white S. Afrikaners and certain people of "European ancestry" CLEARLY shows this whole thing hasnt a FKNG thing to do with immigration.

[Cha]

22. Right? It wasn't fair to Pres Biden and Biden

needs all the Fairness he can get now.

And, the Dictator Traitor, sending ICE Gestapo to Roundup Everybody they can get their Murdering hands on, And Destroying Our Country. Doesn't need Any Accolades.. Ever.

[B.See]

23. No, he doesn't.

He and his ACCOMPLICES need a cell, with the keys thrown away.

[questionseverything]

28. Did you listen to the podcast or are you just going by an inflammatory headline?

[B.See]

35. The question is, did you read my response, because

I not only listened to the podcast but saw the transcript, and aside from a glancing comment made by Bernie re the need for immigration reform, there really wasn't a satisfactory enough (imo) calling out of Republican efforts to stymie immigration reform or of the blatant hypocrisy of an immigration policy that makes exceptions for S. Afrikaners and those of "European ancestry" who embrace certain... "VALUES."

Thanks for asking, though.

[questionseverything]

37. "Satisfactory enough "

[B.See]

38. Right. Satisfactory enough (IMO)...

you're entitled to yours.

Have a great day.

[question everything]

7. "broke with his party?" He is not a Democrat

[Jack Valentino]

14. He was BETTER than a lot of 'Democrats' from the liberal point of view----

including MINE,
but he continues to caucus with the senate Democrats,
and mostly votes with us--- something like 98% of the time.....

[question everything]

25. Irrelevant. The Democratic party is not his party so there was nothing to "break."

[dalton99a]

10. Biden should have tightened the border instead of waiting for Congress

Sanders is right.

It was a grave mistake for Biden to relax border controls after Trump and allow Republicans to demagogue the issue

[Cha]

12. Fuckhead Traitor Killed the Bill so

he could pass it.... No fucking praise for that.

[GoodRaisin]

19. How soon they forget.

[Polybius]

42. See post 41 n/t

[Polybius]

41. Mid 2024!

There should have been action taken much earlier.

[JI7]

16. I agree about Democrats needing to be tough on this issue

but I wouldn't praise Trump. But we do need to be tough so the other side can't take advantage .

Bill Clinton and Barack Obama would have done whatever needed to be done to show this and so the other side can't use it against them .

[JI7]

11. Sanders has usually been negative about immigration

his focus is very much on white men that tend to vote conservative.

[Jack Valentino]

15. All those 'white men' who support "medicaid for all" ??? NO,

not so much

[betsuni]

18. Yes he has, concerned about competition, lower wages for American workers. Opposed 2007 immigration reform bill.

Last edited Tue Oct 28, 2025, 03:17 AM - Edit history (1)

Evolved on the issue over the years, shifted more to the Democratic side (like with gun control), but now maybe back to breaking with Democrats Original Recipe. .

[JI7]

21. Sanders has the same views as 60 years ago

he has never changed. He might have altered his position if it was politically convenient but he has not changed at all.

I think he use to go on regularly with Lou Dobbs.

While I believe we need to be tough on immigration I don't agree with the view that low income white men have it tough becsuse of immigration.

[betsuni]

24. Agree. Politically convenient.

Someone posted a photo of Sanders visiting a Eugene V. Debs museum the other day and I was pleasantly surprised. Like he came out.

All that about FDR as hero, FDR's New Deal being democratic socialism that Democrats have abandoned. No, his hero and main influence has been Debs. Made a documentary about him. Ever since Sanders said the 1960 JFK/Nixon debate nauseated him when neither candidate supported the Cuban revolution, decided both parties were the same. Nothing much has changed since then, Sanderswise. He should be himself!

[question everything]

26. Why the disappointment? He has always been his own man. Sometimes agrees with the Democrats

other times not. That so many here are disappointed with him, well..

[betsuni]

30. Disappointed about what?

[W_HAMILTON]

29. He's still deluded by 2016 thinking he can win over MAGA voters when fact of the matter is...

...MAGA voters only like him because of how he divided the left and helped their Republicans win.

[Blasphemer]

17. Exactly why I didn't support him in 2016. Not my kind of progressive. nt

[Omnipresent]

27. The border became a "wedge issue" that maga used to club President Biden with.

Something should have been done with it, long before trump told republicans not hold a vote on that bill.

[JBTaurus83]

31. What was being shown daily on TV

Was a disaster for Biden. More action should have been taken at the border, and yes I know the Republicans blocked the bill. This is an issue we will need to take a hard line on before the next elections. Immigration is bringing down center left and centrist governments all over the globe. If it were a perfect world I’d say we need more immigrants and let in as many people as we realistically can, but, that isn’t how the majority of voters feel. We can be tough on the border and also hold ICE fully accountable for their actions and cut their budget.

[Mike Nelson]

32. Huh?

... not technically "his party" to break with, presently. I do think Crooked Donald can have state some claim to a good border policy - for example, "I want a secure border and legal immigrants." That sound fine, but actions are shouting something different. Racism, cruelty, indiscriminate arrests... now, we have murder. We're told the boats are coming to the USA for illegal reasons, but we get little proof. Bernie Sanders must see all of this... maybe he's looking at a smaller picture.

[Ping Tung]

33. Note to Bernie. It is the job of thinking people not to be on the side of the executioners. Albert Camus

You've gone over the line this time.

[pinkstarburst]

34. He's correct. Biden waited too long to secure the border

Biden should have issued executive orders and secured the border from day 1. He did it 3.5 years into his presidency, but by then it was too late, illegal immigration had skyrocketed, and there were a huge number of migrants demanding services in all the major cities, which was angering democrats, independents and providing red meat for republican attack ads.

There was absolutely no reason he could not have set up the exact same orders he did from the first day of his presidency. There was no reason he could not have set up the same orders he did during the last year or two when it caused a lot of negative feelings among Hispanics who had come decades before and who weren't given free hotel rooms and other perks, or the Black community, who was being ignored yet again, or poor white voters, all of whom felt like resources were being spent on someone who wasn't them.

Biden did good things during his presidency, but this was a misstep and Sanders is correct about that.

[Midwestern Democrat]

40. Agreed. While the buck ultimately stops with Biden, it appears that his first chief of staff, Ron Klain, played a big

role in stuff like this happening. My first red flag regarding Klain's judgment came very early on when he decided to spend a lot of effort and political capital in an unsuccessful attempt to get Neera Tandem - who was despised by every single Republican and disliked by even some Democrats - confirmed by the Senate to be OMB Director.

[QueerDuck]

36. Oh good God.

No words. Well... Plenty of words, just that it's probably best for me to hold my tongue.

[EllieBC]

39. He's not wrong that things went to off too long HOWEVER

I don’t care if Trump comes up with a cure for cancer. I’m not praising that guy.

And any meaningful immigration reform was being blocked by Republicans.

I think everybody knows that a completely open border is a losing side. It’s even losing up here in Canada. Immigration has become a huge issue. It’s becoming a huge issue all through Europe. Nobody wants unchecked immigration or high levels of immigration. But it wasn’t all Biden‘s fault.