Elizabeth Warren confirmed that Bernie Sanders told her a woman couldn't win the presidency

Lauren Frias

Jan 14, 2020, 06:59 IST

Elizabeth Warren confirmed that Bernie Sanders told her a woman couldn't win the presidency

Lucas Jackson/Reuters

Sens. Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren during the first night of the second presidential debate in Detroit, Michigan.

2020 presidential candidate Sen. Elizabeth Warren confirmed that Sen. Bernie Sanders told her he believed a woman couldn't win the presidency.
Warren, who released a statement Monday evening, said it was at a private meeting in December 2018 to discuss the 2020 election.
"I thought a woman could win; he disagreed," Warren said of their exchange.
Warren went on to say that she wouldn't discuss the private meeting any further because "Bernie and I have far more in common than our differences on punditry."
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2020 presidential candidate Sen. Elizabeth Warren confirmed Monday that fellow candidate and Sen. Bernie Sanders told her a woman couldn't win the presidency during a private conversation, even after he denied saying it.

In a lengthy statement shared on Twitter by Warren's Communications Director Kristen Orthman, the Massachusetts senator cleared the speculation on Sanders' comment after multiple outlets reported about it earlier Monday.

At a private meeting in December 2018, Warren said she met with Sanders to discuss the 2020 election, the topic of the possibility of a female Democratic candidate came up.

"I thought a woman could win; he disagreed," Warren said in the statement.

Warren said she wouldn't say any more because "Bernie and I have far more in common than our differences on punditry."

"I'm in this race to talk about what's broken in this country and how to fix it - and that's what I'm going to continue to do," Warren said. "I know Bernie is in the race for the same reason."

"We have been friends and allies in this fight for a long time, and I have no doubt we will continue to work together to defeat Donald Trump and put our government on the side of the people," she continued.

The disagreement comes a day before they appear on stage alongside four other presidential candidates in a Democratic debate in Iowa, a crucial event ahead of the Iowa caucuses next month.