Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) came down hard on President Obama’s international trade deal in an interview published Tuesday, saying “not a goddamned thing” in the deal protected workers in Vietnam.
Near the end of the interview, CNBC’s John Harwood asked Sanders to respond to President Obama’s criticisms of lawmakers like Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), his chief critic from the left on the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) deal.
“[President Obama] says it’s the most progressive one that’s ever been negotiated,” Harwood said.
“Yeah, like what?” Sanders shot back.
“The minimum wage in Vietnam is 56 cents an hour,” the senator continued. “Workers there cannot form independent unions. And if you protest government policy, you might end up in trouble. OK?”
“What does this trade agreement have to say about that? Not a goddamned thing,” Sanders said. “Not a bloody thing.”
It’s not the first shot Sanders has taken against the deal: the Vermont senator has been vocally opposed since last year, and recently published an op-ed titled “The TPP Must Be Defeated.”
