You ever notice that even when Vermont independent (read: Socialist) Sen. Bernie Sanders smiles, it's really weird? It's almost as if he's embarrassed, or at least uncomfortable, when he briefly lets down his usual cantankerous guard.
Anyway, Bernie was hardly all smiles during a CNN town hall on Wednesday night.
Sanders was asked a question — that he likely didn't expect — about how he felt about the "Schumer Shutdown." Even better (or worse, in Bernie's eyes), the question came from a conservative college student.
The student, Rohan Naval, kicked off the festivities, thusly:
How do you think this reflects on [Senate Minority Leader] Chuck Schumer's leadership?
The ever-dour senator first tried to flip the script on Naval:
Well I think it reflects more on [House Speaker Mike Johnson's] leadership and President Trump's leadership.
As Sanders answered, Naval could be seen smiling and shaking his head.
Sanders continued, bumbling his words before changing gears and asking Naval:
Well how do you feel — you tell me — do you think it's a good idea to give trillions of dollars in tax breaks to the richest people in the country, and make massive cuts in healthcare to working-class people?
Translation: I'm going to trot out the same old worn-out lies about "tax cuts for the rich," then try again to scaremonger the bejesus out of low-information Democrat voters."
Rohan Naval, AU student and @taxreformer intern: "How do you think this shutdown reflects on Chuck Schumer's leadership?"
— Jorge Bonilla (@BonillaJL) October 16, 2025
Bernie tries to flip the question back to Naval and gets SHUT DOWN pic.twitter.com/VuXToWTa0v
It's unbelievable isn't it — yet not — that after President Trump and down-ballot Republicans thrashed the Democrats in the 2024 election, here's Bernie (and the rest of the Democrats) trotting out Obama-era "tax cuts for the rich" and "fair share" nonsense that anyone with a modicum of knowledge about the breakdown on the percentage of federal taxes paid by income-bracket knows is a crock of crap.
And I'm not going to waste time here debunking the "massive cuts in healthcare to working-class people" canard — yet again.
Anyway, young Mr. Rohan Naval was more than ready to respond to Sanders:
I think Chuck Schumer has voted for continuing resolutions 30 times in the last four years, and he has the opportunity to vote for one [now] — yet he's refusing to come to the table.
Whoa — nicely played.
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The confrontation came during a CNN event co-hosted by Sanders and Rep Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) and focused largely on the budget stalemate and health care policies.
Both lawmakers criticized the Trump administration’s handling of negotiations, with Sanders suggesting President Trump was not negotiating “in good faith” and Ocasio-Cortez bloviating about how Democrats wouldn't accept temporary promises regarding Affordable Care Act subsidies.
In other words, the same ol' same ol' from the twin hood ornaments of the embattled Democrat Party.
Editor’s Note: The Schumer Shutdown is here. Rather than put the American people first, Chuck Schumer and the radical Democrats forced a government shutdown for healthcare for illegals. They own this.
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