Primary season is in full swing for the eight Democrats hoping to cinch the nomination, but, as Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders gains steam, critics warn his rise to the top could aid President Donald Trump's re-election.
Andy Puzder, former CEO of CKE Restaurants and a Republican once tapped to be President Donald Trump's Labor Secretary, told Cheddar Monday that a Sanders nomination would be a win for Republicans, arguing the Vermont Senator won't appeal to his own party's moderates.
"I think he's kind of hurt the Democratic party in two ways. One is if he's the nominee, there are a lot of moderate Democrats, a lot of Democrats in business who can't vote from him," due to his economic policies, said Puzder, who is now a senior fellow of public policy at Pepperdine University. He added, "If he's not the nominee, I don't see those Bernie supporters, the Bernie troops, out there voting for Mike Bloomberg, even if Mike Bloomberg is the nominee."
While Sanders pulls a devoted crowd of supporters who want to see some of his non-mainstream ideas come to fruition (think: Medicare-for-All), none of the moderate Democrats have been able to solidify the same type of support and seem to be splitting the moderate vote in early contests.
Former Vice President Joe Biden last weekend suggested a Sanders nomination could hurt candidates down-ballot who may not align with a far-left platform. Former South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg, Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar, and Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren echoed those concerns.
Puzder also noted the strong economy that has manifested during the Trump administration. "I don't see anybody on that stage that has a reasonable chance of defeating an incumbent president in a good economy."
Citing a number of major polls, Puzder said a majority of Americans "think they're going to be better off economically next year than they are this year." If that's the case, he asked, would those people "vote for a guy who's going to blow up the economy?"
