Ah, Bernie Sanders—America’s perpetual broken record on health care reform—just couldn’t resist turning a horrific tragedy into a soapbox moment for his political agenda. Over the weekend, the Vermont senator made headlines for his remarks on the assassination of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson during an appearance on NBC’s Meet The Press.
Instead of focusing on the humanity of the loss or the violence of the act, Sanders pivoted to his favorite tune: railing against the health insurance industry. Because nothing says “thoughts and prayers” quite like, “Let’s nationalize health care!”
Let’s rewind. Kristen Welker asked Bernie point-blank if this was the right time to be talking about health care policy after such a brutal and senseless murder. His response? Classic Sanders: a half-hearted condemnation of the killing, immediately followed by a screed about profits, life expectancy, and why America is the only country without universal health care.
“Killing anybody… is outrageous,” Sanders said before quickly pivoting to his well-worn script about drug companies and insurance profits. The message was clear: this tragedy is a convenient vehicle for his agenda.
CRAZY BERNIE: “Shooting somebody in the back is totally unacceptable, but…..” 🥴 pic.twitter.com/HlAUhqIVw6
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) December 15, 2024
And Sanders wasn’t alone in making tone-deaf comments. His ideological buddy, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, said the quiet part out loud earlier by stating, “You can only push people so far and then they start to take matters into their own hands.” If that isn’t a dog whistle justifying violence, what is? Yet Sanders had the nerve to defend her remarks, claiming Warren wasn’t applauding the murder but simply acknowledging the anger. Sure, Bernie, because we all know the first step in de-escalating rage is rationalizing it.
Republicans and commentators across the board didn’t let this one slide. GOP strategist Matt Whitlock nailed it: the shooter had severe mental health issues and was “practically foaming at the mouth,” yet Democrats still found a way to weaponize the incident for their talking points. Dr. Pradheep J. Shanker reminded everyone that Sanders’ rhetoric has led to violence before, pointing to the 2017 congressional baseball practice shooting. Let’s not forget the shooter was a Bernie bro, enraged by the same “millionaires and billionaires” rhetoric Sanders just can’t quit.
This pattern is beyond troubling. When top Democrats like Sanders and Warren use tragedies to reinforce their ideological grievances, it sends a dangerous message. Even when Sanders says murder is “totally unacceptable,” the “but” hanging in the air afterward diminishes that condemnation. It normalizes the idea that extreme acts are just inevitable reactions to systemic grievances—a slippery slope that excuses violence as political expression.
ROLL THE TAPE: Leaders of the Democrat Party are justifying murder.
AOC: “This is not to say that an act of violence is justified, but…”
Elizabeth Warren: “You can only push people so far & then they start to take matters into their own hands.”
Bernie Sanders: “Shooting… pic.twitter.com/xy1cQnuk7n
— Steve Guest (@SteveGuest) December 15, 2024
The timing of these remarks couldn’t be worse. While Brian Thompson’s family is grieving, Sanders and his allies are busy spinning the narrative to fit their agenda. Instead of uniting people around the need for mental health awareness or condemning political violence without caveats, they’re fanning the flames of division.
This isn’t just bad optics; it’s irresponsible leadership. Americans deserve better than politicians who use tragedy as a megaphone for their pet issues. Maybe it’s time for Bernie Sanders to take a long look in the mirror—or at least retire the “but” from his rhetoric.
