The tension in the Democratic party between far left progressives and the establishment exploded into an online firestorm after a liberal actress mocked Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) during an introduction for Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.)
Susan Sarandon famously dissentedfrom voting for Hillary Clinton in 2016, leading many to blame her and those on the far left for the narrow victory of President Donald Trump.
Liberal think tank president Neera Tanden excoriated Sarandon in a tweet that was widely ridiculed by progressives on Twitter.
“News like this has become commonplace and every once in a while, I just want to thank @SusanSarandon for her campaigning, not just voting, third party,” Tanden tweeted bitterly. “Instead of working to stop Trump, she helped him.”
Sarandon appeared to respond at a rally for Sanders in Iowa.
“When people know and when they hear the senator’s policies, when they see his track record, when they know how authentic he is and how he has been fighting for these issues for so long, he is the only one who has that reputation,” Sarandon said.
“He is not someone who used to be a Republican,” says Susan Sarandon while introducing Bernie Sanders at an ice cre… https://t.co/KF4nyNRz84
— Holly Otterbein (@hollyotterbein)1566245910.0
“He is not someone who used to be a Republican,” she added. “He is not someone who used to take money—or still takes money—from Wall Street. He is the real deal.”
Many took the comment to be a swipe at Warren because she had once been registered as a Republican voter.
“Sarandon doesn’t hold a candle to ‘former Republican’ Elizabeth Warren on advancing Democratic causes,” fired back Brandon Friedman.
“Like congratulations, you’ve been a Democrat longer,” he added. “You also took a blowtorch to your Democratic membership card in 2016 and caused genuine harm. So please spare us the lectures.”
Others fired back at Tanden:
“The people who lost a presidential campaign to Donald J. Trump should’ve been forced out of politics. At minimum, they should’ve accepted responsibility. Instead, they’re now approaching their third anniversary of blaming everyone but themselves, from Russia to Susan Sarandon,” responded activist Aaron Maté.
“Counterpoint: you’re not helping the movement to stop Trump by sitting in your office at your corporate funded think tank and tweeting absurdly silly insults at Susan Sarandon,” respondedSanders speechwriter David Sirota.
Muslim activist Linda Sarsour defended Sarandon, tweeting, “She stands up and speaks out for what she believes in. You don’t have to agree with her, just show up like she does.”
Susan Sarandon has been arrested multiple times at the frontlines protesting issues like family separation. She’s h… https://t.co/BGn2LlE71o
— Linda Sarsour (@lsarsour) 1566237523.0
Whichever side of the Democratic party is closer to the truth, it is no doubt that the internecine fighting can only help the president in his 2020 re-election campaign.
*story by The Blaze