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During the Democratic National Convention, a number of non-Democrat speakers were some of the highlights. The Democratic Party themselves made much to-do over the appearance of four Republicans who spoke on their support of Democratic Nominee Joe Biden. However, another outsider to the party stole the show during the opening night of the DNC: Senator Bernie Sanders. Sanders was more vital and concise than any other speaker present on Monday.
The independent senator from Vermont delivered an impassioned speech during the first night of the televised-only event. Unlike prior years, the DNC this year is occurring via an online presentation. During his segment, Senator Sanders spoke on how imperative it is for democracy that Joe Biden defeat Donald Trump in the upcoming election.
During Sanders’ remarks, he impressed upon viewers how dangerous a second Trump term would be. “Under this administration authoritarianism has taken root in our country. I, and my family, and many of yours, know the insidious way authoritarianism destroys democracy, decency, and humanity,” Sanders noted.
“As long as I am here, I will work with progressives, with moderates, and, yes, with conservatives to preserve this nation from a threat that so many of our heroes fought and died to defeat.”
Sanders’ popular but ultimately unsuccessful presidential bids have made him a champion in the eyes of many progressive voters. As such, his endorsement could be critical in bringing voters who are far to Biden’s left into the fold.
Yesterday, at another non-socially-distanced, in-person rally, Trump once again flirted with the idea of never leaving office. “If I don’t win it this time, I’m not coming back. Never. Not for term three, four or five or six,” the president “joked.”
Trump often couches his more extreme claims as “jokes” to prime the public for the execution of an actual controversial move. He famously heralded the “birtherism” conspiracy theory against Barack Obama under the guise of “just asking questions.” As such, when he “jokes” about defying the Constitution, few people on the left are laughing.
What’s more, the events of the 2016 election have left Democrats skittish. A Russian hacking effort dumped DNC emails a short few weeks before the election, which many believe kneecapped Hillary Clinton’s campaign. The hacking effort by Russian nationals bypassed cloud data security programs and raised alarms about the integrity of the election. Trump has denied any culpability, claiming that investigations into the matter were a “witch hunt.”
