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.
US signals readiness to escort tankers through Hormuz as traffic thins but no mission launched
FLASHBACK: Dem Senate nominee called illegal aliens ‘constituents,’ gave advice on evading ICE
Hegseth Honors Americans Killed in Action as Operation Epic Fury Enters Second Week: ‘Their Deaths Will Not Be in Vain’
Tourist’s bird-brained Vegas stunt with flamingo lands him behind bars on felony charges
BREAKING: GOP Rep. Nancy Mace Plans to Investigate Outgoing DHS Secretary Kristi Noem: ‘We Need to Hold Our Own Accountable’
Fox News True Crime Newsletter: Nancy Guthrie’s clues, Luigi Mangione’s evidence, Idaho murders tarot cards
Democrats pressure Mike Johnson to keep House in Washington over ‘rapidly developing’ Iran operation
Newsom declares ‘Trump is in retreat’ after Noem ouster, demands Miller be ‘next’
Pentagon Declares Major AI Company a Threat to Military Supply Chain
Trump Lays Out His Demands to Iranian Leaders, Vows to ‘MIGA’ If They Comply
Farage heads to Mar-a-Lago to reinforce Trump’s opposition to Chagos Islands deal
Khamenei’s secret bunker under Tehran destroyed by Israeli military jet bombardment
53 Dems vote against declaring Iran a state sponsor of terror
Capitol Hill Dems hail Trump’s DHS ouster of Noem after heated Senate hearing
FBI Agents Search New Home in Nancy Guthrie Disappearance
“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.
US signals readiness to escort tankers through Hormuz as traffic thins but no mission launched
FLASHBACK: Dem Senate nominee called illegal aliens ‘constituents,’ gave advice on evading ICE
Hegseth Honors Americans Killed in Action as Operation Epic Fury Enters Second Week: ‘Their Deaths Will Not Be in Vain’
Tourist’s bird-brained Vegas stunt with flamingo lands him behind bars on felony charges
BREAKING: GOP Rep. Nancy Mace Plans to Investigate Outgoing DHS Secretary Kristi Noem: ‘We Need to Hold Our Own Accountable’
Fox News True Crime Newsletter: Nancy Guthrie’s clues, Luigi Mangione’s evidence, Idaho murders tarot cards
Democrats pressure Mike Johnson to keep House in Washington over ‘rapidly developing’ Iran operation
Newsom declares ‘Trump is in retreat’ after Noem ouster, demands Miller be ‘next’
Pentagon Declares Major AI Company a Threat to Military Supply Chain
Trump Lays Out His Demands to Iranian Leaders, Vows to ‘MIGA’ If They Comply
Farage heads to Mar-a-Lago to reinforce Trump’s opposition to Chagos Islands deal
Khamenei’s secret bunker under Tehran destroyed by Israeli military jet bombardment
53 Dems vote against declaring Iran a state sponsor of terror
Capitol Hill Dems hail Trump’s DHS ouster of Noem after heated Senate hearing
FBI Agents Search New Home in Nancy Guthrie Disappearance
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.