Sanders, Biden spar on Twitter over Social Security, beating President Trump
Former Vice President Joe Biden and Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., were going back and forth on Twitter Thursday night over cuts to Social Security and which campaign is best-positioned to defeat President Donald Trump in November.
The exchange started when Biden tweeted about Social Security by replying to a tweet from the Democratic National Committee that included a video clip from Trump's Fox News town hall. The DNC used a partial quote from Trump and alleged that he is discussing "cutting" entitlement programs.
"Here's the deal, folks: social security is on the ballot this year, and the choice couldn't be clearer: I'll protect and expand it. Donald Trump will cut it and take it away," Biden tweeted.
Sanders then responded -- unprompted -- accusing Biden of advocating for cuts to Social Security, writing: "Here's the deal: Joe Biden has repeatedly advocated for cuts to Social Security. I've fought my whole career to protect and expand it."
That prompted Biden to respond and urge Sanders to focus his attacks -- not on him -- but on Trump.
"Get real, Bernie. The only person who's going to cut Social Security if he's elected is Donald Trump. Maybe you should spend your time attacking him," Biden tweeted.
About an hour before taking the stage at a rally in Phoenix, Sanders tweeted that his campaign is "best positioned" to unseat Trump in November.
"Get real, Joe. One of us has a history of not only fighting cuts to Social Security but working to expand benefits. And that’s why we are the campaign best positioned to defeat Donald Trump," Sanders tweeted.
This was not the first time the two candidates have sparred over Social Security.
Sanders has charged that Biden, while serving as a U.S. senator, advocated for cuts in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Biden has counted that he has no plans to cut the program, if elected, and defended his earlier position by arguing that he was engaging in a broader conversation about the overall federal budget.
