The running narrative on COVID-19 relief bills is that Republicans are the ones withholding it from the people, but as Vermont Senator and avowed democratic socialist Bernie Sanders recently admitted, it’s been the Democrats holding it back the entire time.

The admission came during an interview with Jake Tapper on CNN. Tapper asked about the $1.8 trillion bill that White House Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin was working on with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and that Democrats walked away from.

“That’s right!” said Sanders.

Tapper asked Sanders if walking away from it was a mistake.

“That’s what I’m saying! That’s exactly what I’m saying!” said Sanders. “Here was a proposal much much larger, Democrats are, ‘no that’s not good enough,’ and now we’re prepared to accept a proposal that has I think $350 billion dollars in new money?”

“I don’t think this is much of a compromise,” he continued. “I think the Republicans have probably gotten 90% of what they want. Our job is to fight and get at least a 50-50 deal.”

“We gotta do a lot better and negotiate a lot harder,” added the Vermont Senator.

“What we need is a compromise. I know I can’t get everything that I want, but this bill really isn’t a compromise. It gives Republicans almost everything that they wanted,” Sen. Bernie Sanders says on the current Covid-19 relief proposal. We need to "negotiate a lot harder.” pic.twitter.com/lzuPqgohBc

— The Lead CNN (@TheLeadCNN) December 7, 2020

Democrats have been blaming the GOP for America not getting any COVID relief, but as you can see, Sanders has just admitted that it was the Democrats who are currently to blame for this. This admission comes after politicians like New York’s socialist darling Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez attempted to point the finger at Mitch McConnell and the Republicans.

It’s a point that Ted Cruz shot down, resulting in a back and forth with the New York congresswoman until she eventually lost the argument and decided not to respond.

(READ: It Was Fun and Games for AOC as She Slammed GOP for Delays in COVID-19 Aid, Then Ted Cruz Showed Up)

Despite Sanders’s talk of getting more funding for the people, this reeks more of a political tactic regarding who gets the credit than anything else. The last thing Democrats need is for checks to be dolled out under a Republican-controlled Senate and White House, thus softening any view of the Republicans potential voters may have.

The bottom line is that if you were expecting a check, you know who to blame now.