Senator Bernie Sanders acknowledged during a podcast appearance that the Democratic Party hasn’t held a fair presidential primary since 2008 and agreed the party poses a “threat to democracy.” The comments came during an episode of the Flagrant podcast aired Monday, hosted by comedian Andrew Schulz and Akaash Singh.
Schulz, a self-described lifelong Democrat, expressed frustration that the party leadership has stripped voters of their influence. “We didn’t have a say on who could be president,” Schulz said. “I think they need to have some accountability of that.”
“No argument here,” Sanders replied.
The Vermont senator also addressed lingering controversy from the 2016 Democratic primary, where he ran a competitive campaign fueled by grassroots support but lost to Hillary Clinton. Sanders supporters long believed the Democratic National Committee rigged the process in Clinton’s favor.
“It felt they stole it from you,” Schulz said. “It broke my heart when you supported them.”
Sanders admitted his disappointment but said the general election forced him into a binary choice. “Is it going to be Hillary Clinton? Or is it going to be Donald Trump? Not a great choice,” he said.
Co-host Singh then asked if the Democratic Party has conducted a fair primary since 2008 and whether the party has become a threat to democratic values.
“Yes,” Sanders responded. “Fair enough. That is… yeah. I’m not gonna argue with that point. And that’s why I’m proudly an Independent.”
Sanders’ remarks, coming from a leading figure on the political left, underscore the growing divide within the Democratic base over transparency, voter empowerment, and party control.
