Bernie Sanders slams Kamala Harris’ 2024 campaign, says she failed to focus on important issues

Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., called out Vice President Kamala Harris‘ campaign on a podcast Wednesday and said she failed to focus on issues that mattered to working Americans. 

“Why is there such a cover-up with Biden’s mental decline? Why is there no primary, a quick one even, after he is judged unfit to run? Why is there no transparency there? That’s a huge problem, and I think it delivered — I mean, I know people blame five podcasters, but I think that process helped deliver the country,” host Tim Dillon asked Sanders during “The Tim Dillon Show.” 

Sanders began by praising Harris and noting that he ran against her in 2020. He added that he had campaigned hard for her in 2024.

“I think the reason that she lost that election gets back to the point we discussed at the beginning of this podcast and that is money in politics. Kamala did not run a campaign focused on the needs of the working class, didn’t run a campaign focused on healthcare, on economics, and raising the minimum wage, on paid family and medical leave, on housing, on all of the issues that working people are struggling with right now,” Sanders said. 

KAMALA HARRIS HINTS AT POLITICAL FUTURE, TELLS CHARLAMAGNE SHE’S ‘IN IT FOR THE FIGHT’

Sen. Bernie Sanders and former Vice President Kamala Harris (Selcuk Acar/Anadolu via Getty Images; Arnold Turner/Getty Images for NAACP)

“And I think her not focusing on those issues allowed Trump to win, in my view,” he added. 

Sanders previously criticized Harris’ campaign in an August interview on CNN, saying her consultants were “heavily influenced by wealthy people.”

“I like her, she’s a friend of mine, but her core consultants, you know, were heavily influenced by very wealthy people. How do you run for president and not develop a strong agenda which speaks to the economic crises facing working families?” Sanders said.

BERNIE URGED HARRIS TO FOCUS ‘ON THE WORKING CLASS, NOT JUST ON ABORTION,’ BOOK REVEALS

“You know, more income and wealth inequality today than we’ve ever had. You have 60% of our people living paycheck to paycheck. You’ve got a healthcare system which is broken and dysfunctional — and despite spending so much — we’re the only major country not to guarantee healthcare to all people. How do you not talk about these issues?” Sanders continued.

Harris wrote in her book, “107 Days,” that Sanders had urged her to focus on the working class when she took former President Joe Biden’s spot at the top of the ticket.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF MEDIA AND CULTURE

Bernie Sanders after speaking during the first weekend of the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival on April 12, 2025, in Indio, California. (Amy Harris/Invision/AP)

“I supported Joe because he was the strongest voice for the working class. Please focus on the working class, not just on abortion,” Sanders told Harris, according to her notes from their conversation. 

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Fox News Digital reached out to Harris’ representatives for comment but did not immediately receive a response.