Meghan McCain Warns 'Don't Underestimate' Bernie Sanders: He's 'Truly Formidable'

"He’s still the original, with all the socialist disciples coming up after him," the "View" co-host said.
LOADINGERROR LOADING

Now that Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) is officially in the running for 2020, Meghan McCain is warning voters not to overlook his potential to win the election.

“The thing I will say about him is don’t underestimate him,” the “View” co-host said Tuesday, citing his 2016 sweep of New Hampshire and his success in taking nearly half of Iowa — the first two primary states, which will be important targets for candidates.

“This time there are no superdelegates to come against him at the convention like what happened before,” McCain added, referring to the Democratic National Committee’s rule change last year that stripped superdelegates of much of their power in deciding the party’s nominee.

Weighing Sanders’ chances, McCain called him “a truly formidable candidate,” arguing that “he’s still the original, with all the socialist disciples coming up after him.”

“He’s the most popular politician in the country right now,” she added

According to a January Morning Consult survey of registered voters, McCain is right. For the 11th consecutive time, the quarterly poll had Sanders as the senator with the highest approval rating in his or her state, with 64 percent of Vermonters approving of his performance. Another declared presidential candidate, Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), isn’t far behind, coming in sixth place with a 58 percent approval rating.

Sanders announced his candidacy Tuesday, first on Vermont Public Radio, then in an interview with CBS News in which he denounced Trump as “a racist who is a sexist, who is a xenophobe,” vowing that his campaign would mirror the progressive themes of his 2016 run.

Popular in the Community

Close

What's Hot