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Senator Bernie Sanders said Joe Biden needs to talk more about his plans to revive the US economy, including a higher minimum wage, to earn Americans votes and beat President Donald Trump in November.
“Joe has some pretty strong positions on the economy, and I think we should be talking about that more than we have,” the Vermont independent said on MSNBC on Sunday. “Joe needs to talk about what he intends to do to improve life for working families.”
Sanders also suggested the Biden campaign reach out more aggressively to grassroots Latino organizations as some surveys show Biden underperforming with Hispanic voters compared with previous Democrats.
The comments came a day after the Washington Post reported that Sanders has worried privately that Biden’s campaign isn’t focused enough on the left wing of the Democratic Party.
Sanders is concerned Biden will lose if he continues to campaign on a centrist approach, and wants the Democrat to campaign more with popular liberal figures like Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, the Post reported.
“What I said privately is what I have said publicly,” Sanders said on Sunday. “I think Biden is in excellent position to win this election, but I think we have got to do more as a campaign than just go after Trump.”
Minimum wage
“What people want to hear is what Joe is going to do to raise the minimum wage, and he supports a $15 an hour minimum wage,” Sanders said.
A representative for the senator told the Post that Sander’s was working as hard as he can to get Biden elected, and has suggested some strategic adjustments.
“He has been in direct contact with the Biden team and has urged them to put more emphasis on how they will raise wages, create millions of good paying jobs, lower the cost of prescription drugs and expand health care,” said Faiz Shakir, Sanders’ former campaign manager.
Shakir also said Sanders has suggested Biden reach out more to young people, the Latino community and progressives.