Skip to main content

The context you need, when you need it

When news breaks, you need to understand what actually matters — and what to do about it. At Vox, our mission to help you make sense of the world has never been more vital. But we can’t do it on our own.

We rely on readers like you to fund our journalism. Will you support our work and become a Vox Member today?

Join now

Donald Trump characterizes Bernie Sanders as “weak,” “disgusting,” and a “disgrace”

Donald Trump called Bernie Sanders "weak" for giving up the microphone to Black Lives Matter protesters this past weekend, suggesting that he or his staff would physically fight off demonstrators if they tried to take over a stage he was speaking at.

“I would never give up my microphone,” Trump said at a press conference on Tuesday night, with the comments starting at the 13:10 mark in the video above. “I thought that was disgusting. That showed such weakness — the way he was taken away by two young women. … They just took the whole place over.” He added, “That will never happen with me. I don’t know if I’ll do the fighting myself or if other people will. But that was a disgrace. … I felt badly for him, but it showed that he’s weak.”

Sanders lost control of a Seattle rally on Saturday after two Black Lives Matter protesters confronted him on stage, demanded to speak, and criticized his campaign for not paying enough attention to criminal justice and race issues. Rally organizers ultimately decided to shut down the event, forcing Sanders to leave without giving most of his speech.

But short of physically fighting off the protesters, it’s unclear what Sanders and rally organizers could have done to take back the stage. Trump’s comments suggest he’d be willing to fight protesters if he needed to, as MSNBC’s Chris Hayes pointed out on Twitter.

It’s unlikely it will come to that. So far, Black Lives Matter protesters have targeted Democratic candidates who are sympathetic to their cause — and Trump, who has a history of racially charged remarks, doesn’t meet that standard.

Watch: Donald Trump is trolling the Republican Party

More in Politics

The Logoff
Trump’s DOJ wants to undo January 6 convictionsTrump’s DOJ wants to undo January 6 convictions
The Logoff

How the Trump administration is still trying to rewrite January 6 history.

By Cameron Peters
Politics
Donald Trump messed with the wrong popeDonald Trump messed with the wrong pope
Politics

Trump fought with Pope Francis before. He’s finding Pope Leo XIV to be a tougher foil.

By Christian Paz
Podcasts
A cautionary tale about tax cutsA cautionary tale about tax cuts
Podcast
Podcasts

California cut property taxes in the 1970s. It didn’t go so well.

By Miles Bryan and Noel King
Podcasts
Obama’s top Iran negotiator on Trump’s screwupsObama’s top Iran negotiator on Trump’s screwups
Podcast
Podcasts

Wendy Sherman helped Obama reach a deal with Iran. Here’s what she thinks Trump is doing wrong.

By Kelli Wessinger and Noel King
Politics
The Supreme Court could legalize moonshine, and ruin everything elseThe Supreme Court could legalize moonshine, and ruin everything else
Politics

McNutt v. DOJ could allow the justices to seize tremendous power over the US economy.

By Ian Millhiser
The Logoff
The new Hormuz blockade, briefly explainedThe new Hormuz blockade, briefly explained
The Logoff

Trump tries Iran’s playbook.

By Cameron Peters