A small group of Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) supporters received backlash online Monday for a video celebrating former mayor Pete Buttigieg’s decision to drop out of the 2020 presidential race.
The video, uploaded by the East Bay chapter of the Democratic Socialists, showed around eight members of the group, as well as a cardboard cutout of Sanders himself, imitating the choreographed “High Hopes” dance used by the Buttigieg campaign.
Opponents of the Vermont senator, including Ben LaBolt, an ex-spokesman for former President Barack Obama, used the video to criticize Sanders before it was eventually pulled down.
“Will the Bernie Sanders campaign ever do anything to rein in their supporters?” LaBolt said. “It’s a constant drip drip drip of dehumanizing hate for the other campaigns, self righteousness and attempts to alienate anyone who disagrees with them. Politics is about addition, not this.”
Since removing the tweet, the group has not commented on the video. But the reaction is unsurprising, given that critics of Sanders have often attempted to blame the candidate for the actions of his supporters, often dubbed “Bernie Bros.”
Buttigieg’s decision to bow out of the race came one day before his fellow candidate Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) dropped out as well. Both politicians have since endorsed former Vice President Joe Biden.
Sanders responded to the news of Buttigieg’s announcement on Monday by congratulating the candidate for running a “brilliant campaign.”
“He is the first openly gay candidate for president of the United States and he did extraordinarily well,” Sanders said. “And tonight I just want to welcome all of his supporters into our movement and to urge them to joining us in the fight for real change in this country.”
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