‘Disgusting!’ Bernie Sanders Snaps Back at Mike Johnson for Accusing Him of Siding ‘With the Terrorists’ in Israel War

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) is “not happy” with House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) after the Republican leader accused the senator of siding “with the terrorists” in the Israel-Hamas conflict.

Sanders joined MSNBC’s Chris Hayes on Tuesday and was given a chance to respond to earlier comments from Johnson in which the House Speaker blasted Sanders for announcing he would not attend an address to Congress by Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

“This is the time to choose a side. If Bernie Sanders wants to side with the terrorists, so be it,” Johnson said at a press conference.

Sanders has called for a ceasefire and been critical of Israel’s tactics in fighting Hamas, specifically their strikes on Gaza which have led to thousands of civilian deaths. On Tuesday, Sanders accused Netanyahu of being “currently engaged in creating the worst humanitarian disaster in the modern history of this country.”

Sanders accused Johnson of spreading a “disgusting lie” by accusing him of siding with terrorists.

“It is a disgusting lie. He said it yesterday, he said it again today, and I guess if you’re part of the MAGA group, right-wing Republicans, big lies are what you do. You just say lies over and over again and you hope people believe them,” he said.

The Vermont senator called Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel, in which more than 1,000 were killed and hundreds kidnapped, “atrocious” and said Israel “had every right in the world to defend itself,” but accused Netanyahu of engaging in war with Palestinian civilians.

“What Johnson is doing is what right-wing people always do. Back in the day, if you stood up for civil rights or social justice, they called you a communist,” he said. “If you are prepared to take on Netanyahu’s outrageous war against Palestinian people, I suppose now they claim that you’re sympathetic to terrorism.”

Watch above via MSNBC.

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