Sanders tells YSU crowd cornerstone of Trump's campaign is 'bigotry'

November 4, 2016 at 12:09a.m.

YOUNGSTOWN

U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, stumping for Democratic Hillary Clinton, urged her supporters “to work as hard as you can” to make sure she is elected president while taking numerous shots at Donald Trump, her Republican opponent.

Just after criticizing Trump for “his stupidity involving climate control,” Sanders said Thursday at Youngstown State University: “What has bothered me most is that he has made a cornerstone of his campaign for president bigotry and trying to divide” the nation.

Sanders spoke for 33 minutes at YSU’s Stambaugh Stadium Gym C. The Clinton campaign said 340 people attended based on the state fire marshal’s count.

Sanders said Clinton, who defeated him for the Democratic presidential nomination, wants to make college more affordable, provide health care to all, increase the minimum wage, create an infrastructure program and reduce unemployment.

In discussing unemployment, Sanders said the actual percentage is more than 9 percent, and “real unemployment remains much too high.” The national nonfarm unemployment rate is reported at 5 percent.

Republican National Committee spokeswoman Natalie Storm wrote in an email: “Is Bernie Sanders not getting his Clinton campaign talking points?”

She added: “This is the same Obama economy that Hillary Clinton has given an ‘A’ grade,” and “maybe someone should teach Bernie the company line before he makes any more campaign stops.”

Sanders praised Barack Obama for turning around the country, particularly the economy, during his presidency.

“Where we are today is a hell of a lot better than where we were eight years ago,” he said, adding that it was done with “an unprecedented level of Republican obstruction.”

During his speech, Sanders said, “I’ve got news for The Donald: “On Nov. 8, not only is Trump going to lose the election, but he and his [wealthy] friends will be on the path to start paying their fair share of taxes.”

It was Sanders’ first visit to Youngstown since March 14, the day before he lost the Ohio Democratic primary to Clinton.

Sanders criticized the media for covering the campaign like it’s a “high school presidential election for the senior class.”

Sanders campaign refused to make him available to the media during his Youngstown visit — saying his schedule was too packed even for brief interviews.

The independent senator from Vermont said campaign finance reform is the “most important issue” the country faces because it affects all other issues, and Clinton won’t nominate U.S. Supreme Court justices who back the Citizens United decision that allows billionaires to donate unlimited amounts of money to influence elections.

This election, Sanders said, is about “where we are today, how we got to where we are and where do we want to go.”