Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Sen. Bernie Sanders were asked to weigh in, of course, on the ready-made spat of the day: whether Sanders once argued with Warren over whether a woman could win the presidency. Sanders denied saying it or thinking it. Warren said “I disagreed. Bernie is my friend, and I am not here to try to fight with Bernie.” Instead, she reframed the question in broader terms.
Transcript below.
I disagreed. Bernie is my friend, and I am not here to try to fight with Bernie. But look, this question about whether or not a woman can be president has been raised, and it’s time for us to attack it head-on. And I think the best way to talk about who can win is by looking at peoples’ winning record.
So, can a woman beat Donald Trump? Look at the men on this stage. Collectively, they have lost 10 elections. The only people on this stage who have won every single election that they’ve been in are the women: Amy and me. And the only person on this stage who has beaten an incumbent Republican any time in the past 30 years is me.
And here’s what I know: The real danger that we face as Democrats is picking a candidate who can’t pull our party together, or someone who takes for granted big parts of the Democratic constituency. We need a candidate who will excite all parts of the Democratic Party, bring everyone in, and give everyone a Democrat to believe in. That’s my plan, and that is why I’m going to win.