Last updated on September 25th, 2023 at 02:13 pm
Sen. Bernie Sanders backtracked on releasing his medical records, and when asked about it, the campaign called it a smear and compared it to birtherism.
Sanders campaign press secretary Briahna Joy Gray said on CNN, “I think the American people deserve to know exactly as much as every other candidate has released in this race currently and historically, and what you’re seeing right now is really reminiscent of some of the smear, some of the skepticism campaigns that have been run against a lot of different candidates in the past. Questioning where their from, a lot of their lineage et cetera, et cetera.”
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Here's Bernie Sanders press secretary Briahna Joy Gray on CNN comparing demands for Sanders's medical records to birtherism and dismissing them as "a kind of smear campaign." pic.twitter.com/rZOm4a3Rg8
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) February 19, 2020
Transparency is paramount when it comes to the health of candidates. It is wrong that Trump refuses to release his health records. It’s wrong that Bernie Sanders is refusing to release his health records. It doesn’t matter if it is a Democratic candidate or a Republican candidate, they must release their full health records.
Sanders had no problem releasing his full health records in 2016, so this abrupt change only fuels speculation that there is something in his health records worth hiding.
Bernie Sanders had a heart attack. It is not a conspiracy theory like birtherism. It is a proven fact that was confirmed by Sen. Sanders himself and the campaign.
Republicans and Trump had a field day with Hillary Clinton getting dizzy with the flu at a 9/11 ceremony. Imagine what they will do to Sen. Sanders.
The best way for the Sanders campaign to deal with this question is to be like Obama. Release all the records. If they choose to be like Trump, which is what the campaign is currently doing, they are not transparent with voters, and it will only hurt them in the end.
Bernie Sanders is better than this, and he needs to do the right thing.
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Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
