In her statement, Warren said “I have no interest in discussing this private meeting any further because Bernie and I have far more in common than on our differences on punditry. “We have been friends and allies in this fight for long time, and I have no doubt we will continue to work together to defeat Donald Trump and put our government on the side of the people.”
Sanders campaign manager Faiz Shakir had urged Warren to speak out on the CNN report earlier in the day, telling NBC News, “I believe strongly what we are talking about here is a lie.”
“I believe that she should come out and say yeah, that is not my recollection of events, of course Bernie Sanders does not believe that,” Shakir said.
The bitter back and forth between the two longtime friends comes one day before the two are due to share the stage at a Democratic presidential debate in Des Moines, Iowa.
The pair had defended each other against their more moderate rivals in past Democratic debates, but cracks in their relationship began to show in recent days after Sanders started surging in the polls.
DOJ’s Harmeet Dhillon: Some states have ‘homework to do’ to keep noncitizens from voting in midterm elections
House Republican Thomas Massie suggests Obamacare could now be labeled ‘Trumpcare’
Trump holds Washington hostage over SAVE Act as midterm clock ticks on GOP control
US on track to intercept 16 times as many suspected terrorists at border under Trump thanks to cartel designations
Maryland may finally see redistricting action — just not the way Wes Moore wanted
Music and patriotism: Dukes of Hazzard star praises community and family at Great American State Fair
Tyler Robinson preliminary hearing: Judge orders redactions to ex-lover’s video testimony
Social media influencer and model, 22, killed in violent highway crash
Trump threatens troop withdrawals if ‘very good deal’ on Greenland isn’t struck
Stepdad accused of sex assault as cops widen probe into girl’s lethal Benadryl ingredient dose
More than 30 injured after Maryland transit bus crashes into building near Baltimore
House Dem back in the spotlight as brother faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted
Platner drops out of crucial Senate race after bombshell rape allegation torpedoes campaign
Franklin Graham Gives McDonald’s ‘Free Advice’ on How to ‘Bring Happy Customers Back’
Who is Valli Geiger? Meet the Maine Dem that Platner urged to run for Senate
“The timing of this clearly shows that this is a desperate move,” one senior Sanders aide told NBC News. “Unfortunately Elizabeth Warren’s campaign has been going down in the polls, and this is the latest in an attack on one of her leading competitors.”
Politico reported over the weekend that the Sanders’ campaign had been giving volunteers talking points describing Warren as the candidate of elites.
Warren said Sunday she was “disappointed” by the campaign’s actions.
“I was disappointed to hear that Bernie is sending his volunteers out to trash me,” she told NBC News.
Sanders downplayed the Politico report, saying his campaign has “hundreds of employees” and “people sometimes say things that they shouldn’t.”
“I have never said a negative word about Elizabeth Warren who is a friend of mine. We have differences on issues, that’s what campaigning is about. But no one is going to be attacking Elizabeth,” Sanders said.
Sanders has in the past been critical of some of Warren’s policy positions, particularly health care.
DOJ’s Harmeet Dhillon: Some states have ‘homework to do’ to keep noncitizens from voting in midterm elections
House Republican Thomas Massie suggests Obamacare could now be labeled ‘Trumpcare’
Trump holds Washington hostage over SAVE Act as midterm clock ticks on GOP control
US on track to intercept 16 times as many suspected terrorists at border under Trump thanks to cartel designations
Maryland may finally see redistricting action — just not the way Wes Moore wanted
Music and patriotism: Dukes of Hazzard star praises community and family at Great American State Fair
Tyler Robinson preliminary hearing: Judge orders redactions to ex-lover’s video testimony
Social media influencer and model, 22, killed in violent highway crash
Trump threatens troop withdrawals if ‘very good deal’ on Greenland isn’t struck
Stepdad accused of sex assault as cops widen probe into girl’s lethal Benadryl ingredient dose
More than 30 injured after Maryland transit bus crashes into building near Baltimore
House Dem back in the spotlight as brother faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted
Platner drops out of crucial Senate race after bombshell rape allegation torpedoes campaign
Franklin Graham Gives McDonald’s ‘Free Advice’ on How to ‘Bring Happy Customers Back’
Who is Valli Geiger? Meet the Maine Dem that Platner urged to run for Senate
In an October interview with ABC, Sanders said his Massachusetts counterpart “is a very, very good senator. But there are differences between Elizabeth and myself. Elizabeth, I think, as you know, has said that she is a capitalist through her bones. I’m not.”
Before Sunday, Warren had largely avoided being critical of Sanders and his campaign, typically telling reporters asking about the differences between them that they’re friends and she doesn’t want to comment on other campaigns.