Republican strategist Karl Rove says Sen. Bernie SandersBernie SandersThe Hill’s 12:30 Report: Milley apologizes for church photo-op Harris grapples with defund the police movement amid veep talk Biden courts younger voters — who have been a weakness MORE (I-Vt.) could defeat President TrumpDonald John TrumpSenate advances public lands bill in late-night vote Warren, Democrats urge Trump to back down from veto threat over changing Confederate-named bases Esper orders ‘After Action Review’ of National Guard’s role in protests MORE in 2020.
In an opinion piece in The Wall Street Journal Thursday, Rove cited Sanders’s performance at a Monday town hall on Fox News, during which the audience applauded his calls for “Medicare for All.”
“When only 37% of Americans in the RealClearPolitics average think the country is going in the right direction while 56.4% think it’s on the wrong track, Mr. Sanders could be perceived as an agent of change,” Rove wrote.
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“If he is the Democratic nominee, Mr. Trump’s task will be to convince Americans that a socialist turn would be a ruinous change. Based on Monday’s town hall, that won’t be as easy as Republicans may think. Mr. Sanders is a real contender,” he added.
Rove wrote that Sanders showed he has improved as a candidate since 2016, citing how he sidestepped a question about whether he benefitted from the Republican tax cuts to focus instead on Trump’s refusal to release his own returns.
Rove added that Sanders had learned how to “smooth socialism’s rough edges” and now had a message focused on economic disparities that resonated with voters.
Polls show Sanders as one of the top-tier Democratic presidential candidates, running second behind former Vice President Joe BidenJoe BidenHillicon Valley: Biden calls on Facebook to change political speech rules | Dems demand hearings after Georgia election chaos | Microsoft stops selling facial recognition tech to police Trump finalizing executive order calling on police to use ‘force with compassion’ The Hill’s Campaign Report: Biden campaign goes on offensive against Facebook MORE in most polls.
A national poll last week showed him in first place and as the top beneficiary if Biden, who has still not formally announced, decides not to run.
Sanders’s Fox News town hall drew more than 2.55 million viewers as well as the ire of Trump, a frequent Fox News viewer, who accused the network of not allowing Trump supporters into the event.
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