CNN’s Abby Phillip interviewed Vermont socialist Senator Bernie Sanders as part of CNN’s primary night coverage, which was headlined by Michigan’s Senate Democrat primary between Congresswoman Haley Stevens and Abdul El-Sayed. The soft interview gave Sanders the opening to confirm what many of us have suspected all along.
Watch as Sanders simultaneously disavows then welcomes streamer Hasan Piker into his “big tent” Democrat Party, while offering longtime strategist James Carville a suggestion if the “big tent” isn’t to his liking:
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ABBY PHILLIP: Let me ask you about one of those campaign events, because just last night, um, the popular but very controversial streamer Hasan Piker was at one of El-Sayed's final events. The two did a stream together, a fairly lengthy stream. I know that you've spoken to Hasan Piker in the past, but are you comfortable with El-Sayed having a close association with him, given some of his past statements? To give you an example, one of the more controversial ones is that Piker has said America deserved 9/11. Are you comfortable with that association?
BERNIE SANDERS: No, I am not. I think that's a dumb statement. On the other hand, he has a whole lot of followers and there's a lot of things that he's saying that are making sense to a lot of people. I think, you know, we have to get above cancel culture. You know, when you're doing radio, whatever they do- podcasts three hours a day, you say dumb things. I suspect if you go back over your career, there may be 1 or 2 things that you said that you may have regretted. But I think what we have got to do is look at the totality of where people are coming from. Uh, and go forward.
PHILLIP: So when someone like James Carville says he doesn't want to be in the same political party as Hasan Piker, which one are you going to take?
SANDERS: Well, that's not much of a choice. If Mr. Carville doesn't want to be in my party, the party that I belong to, that Piker, that El-Sayed belongs to, he can start his own party. But, uh, you know, look. What we are doing now is, you know, you can turn the tables around and say, do you really want to be in a party where your leadership is taking huge amounts of money from AIPAC, which is supporting an extremist Netanyahu government that many of us believe have committed genocide? Do you want to be in a party with people who do that? Do you want to be in a party which has not stood up to the AI industry, because they got a lot of money from AI or from crypto? So you could pick, you know, you could pick whatever you want to pick. But I think we need a big tent and I think people like Piker should be welcomed into that, certainly.
You will note that Phillip didn’t cut Sanders off mid-response or inject her own talking points into the discussion, or sneer at Sanders’ policy proposals. That behavior is reserved for Republican panelists on NewsNight, chiefly Scott Jennings. Subsequent to the exchange on Piker and El-Sayed, Phillip closed out the interview by asking if Sanders would support Haley Stevens if she wins the primary, to which he responds in the affirmative.
Phillip offered no followup to Sanders’ selection of Piker and El-Sayed over Carville. Neither did Phillip display the journalistic curiosity needed to explore that Sanders meant by “my party.” He identifies as an independent, after all. What did Sanders mean by “my party?” Is he registering as a Democrat or is he referring to his greater influence over a party slowly being hollowed out by the DSA?
We won’t know because Phillip didn’t feel pressed to follow up. Yet another reminder that were it not for double standards, there'd be none at all.
Click “expand” to view the full transcript of the aforementioned interview as aired on CNN NewsNight with Abby Phillip on Tuesday, August 4th, 2026:
ABBY PHILLIP: But, first, I want to introduce Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders. He has endorsed Abdul El-Sayed in the Michigan Senate race, and he endorsed Cori Bush for Missouri's First Congressional District tonight. Senator, thanks for joining us tonight.
BERNIE SANDERS: My pleasure.
PHILLIP: So, El-Sayed has said publicly he's not a Democratic socialist. He's been lumped in with them, though, because he has embraced a lot of their core positions. So, when we're talking about a state like Michigan, a key battleground state, a purple state, are you confident that he can win in the general election?
SANDERS: Yes, I am. Abby, it's important to understand what's going on tonight in Michigan, which is kind of historical. I cannot recall anything like it. Abdul El-Sayed is taking on the entire Michigan Democratic establishment. He is taking on the entire national Democratic establishment, and in an unprecedented way.
I've not heard about this ever. He is being outspent 10-1 by super PACs, AIPAC and other special interest organizations funded by billionaires, outspent 10-1. And as of this moment at least, he is in the lead. So, what that tells me is that people in Michigan -- and we have seen this, Abby, all across this country. We've seen it in New York City.
We've seen it in Colorado, New Jersey. I think ordinary people understand that the economy is rigged, the very rich are getting richer, working families are struggling, that we have a corrupt campaign finance system, which we are seeing operating right now in Michigan, where billionaires are trying to buy elections.
So, the fact that he's doing as well as he is right now tells me that in a general election, he is going to appeal to independents, he's going to appeal to some Republicans and, by the way, a whole lot of young people who previously have not been participating in the political process.
PHILLIP: On the other hand, over in Missouri, Cori Bush, who you also endorsed, did lose her primary tonight. That was a race where AIPAC played a big role both the first time and the second time. What do you think happened there? Why did she lose?
SANDERS: I don't know. I endorse Cori. I like Cori very, very much, and I'm disappointed that she lost. But I will tell you, Abby, and this is an issue as Americans we have got to deal with, I believe in democracy. I believe that elections are about a clash of ideas. You disagree with me, fine. Go to the voters. Tell the voters why you think I'm a terrible senator. That's what politics is about. But when you have millions and millions of dollars, often with dishonest 30- second ads, that is undermining democracy, it bothers me very, very much. We got to get rid of these super PACs. We got to overturn Citizens United. And, by the way, that is something that Abdul has been stressing in his Senate campaign.
PHILLIP: What about Leader Schumer? He's been on the other side of you in a number of these primaries, including in Michigan here tonight. If El-Sayed does win tonight, what do you want Leader Schumer to take away? Do you think it is time for him to change his strategy around these primaries?
SANDERS: I think what we are seeing, no matter what happens tonight in Michigan and I hope very much that El-Sayed wins, is you're seeing the transformation of the Democratic Party.
And what the debate within the Democratic Party is about, it's not only about ideology. I want to see billionaires start paying their fair share of taxes. I believe as progressives do that healthcare is a human right. We need Medicare for all. I believe that we should cease all funding to Netanyahu's extremist government, et cetera.
But it's not only ideology that we disagree with the Democratic leadership about. It's how you do politics. It is no great secret that what the Democratic leadership does, and the Republicans do it even more, is you go to wealthy billionaires, you say, give us campaign contributions. You start super PACs, you hire all these consultants, you put 30-second ads on, you do opposition research. That's your campaign. We do it differently.
And in Michigan right now, you know what Abdul has done? He has done 500 public events. He has thousands of volunteers knocking on doors. He's doing what Mamdani did in New York City, 100,000 volunteers. We are growing the voter universe, bringing people in who have been disenchanted and not participating. That is the difference in ideology. That's the difference in how we do politics.
ABBY PHILLIP: Let me ask you about one of those campaign events, because just last night, um, the popular but very controversial streamer Hasan Piker was at one of El-Sayed's final events. The two did a stream together, a fairly lengthy stream. I know that you've spoken to Hasan Piker in the past, but are you comfortable with El-Sayed having a close association with him, given some of his past statements? To give you an example, one of the more controversial ones is that Piker has said America deserved 9/11. Are you comfortable with that association?
BERNIE SANDERS: No, I am not. I think that's a dumb statement. On the other hand, he has a whole lot of followers and there's a lot of things that he's saying that are making sense to a lot of people. I think, you know, we have to get above cancel culture. You know, when you're doing radio, whatever they do- podcasts three hours a day, you say dumb things. I suspect if you go back over your career, there may be 1 or 2 things that you said that you may have regretted. But I think what we have got to do is look at the totality of where people are coming from. Uh, and go forward.
PHILLIP: So when someone like James Carville says he doesn't want to be in the same political party as Hasan Piker, which one are you going to take?
SANDERS: Well, that's not much of a choice. If Mr. Carville doesn't want to be in my party, the party that I belong to, that Piker, that El-Sayed belongs to, he can start his own party. But, uh, you know, look. What we are doing now is, you know, you can turn the tables around and say, do you really want to be in a party where your leadership is taking huge amounts of money from AIPAC, which is supporting an extremist Netanyahu government that many of us believe have committed genocide? Do you want to be in a party with people who do that? Do you want to be in a party which has not stood up to the AI industry, because they got a lot of money from AI or from crypto? So you could pick, you know, you could pick whatever you want to pick. But I think we need a big tent and I think people like Piker should be welcomed into that, certainly.
PHILLIP: Just a quick final question for you, Senator. If voters do choose to nominate Congresswoman Stevens tonight, would you support her in the general election if it meant winning that seat?
SANDERS: I want to do everything I can to put a brake on Trump's disastrous policies. We need to have Democrats control the House and the Senate, and I will do my best to elect all Democrats to the United States Senate.
PHILLIP: Senator Bernie Sanders, we appreciate your time. Thank you very much for joining us.
SANDERS: Thank you.
