Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) avoided saying Sunday whether he thought it was fair game to talk about Monica Lewinsky on the campaign trail.
Actress Rosario Dawson, a Sanders’ supporter, mentioned Lewinsky, who has taken on anti-bullying efforts, during a campaign event.
“We are literally under attack for not just supporting the other candidate,” Dawson reportedly said. “Now I’m with Monica Lewinsky with this: Bullying is bad.”
Sanders was asked on CNN’s “State of the Union” if it was appropriate to talk about Lewinsky on the trail.
“We have many, many — Rosario is a great actress, and she’s doing a great job for us,” Sanders replied. “And she’s been a passionate fighter to see that we see the increase voter turnout, that we fight for racial, economic, environmental justice.”
CNN host Jake Tapper interrupted Sanders and asked “yes or no” if his surrogates should be talking about Lewinsky.
“I have no idea in what context Rosario was talking about her,” Sanders said. “But I would hope that all of our people focus on the real issues facing working people and the massive level of income and wealth inequality that we have.”
Sara Jerde
Sara Jerde is a newswriter based in New York. Her bylines have appeared in The Star-Ledger, The Chronicle of Higher Education and The Columbus Dispatch. She graduated from Ohio University. Send emails to sara@talkingpointsmemo.com and follow her @SaraJerde.
