5 things to know about Bernie Sanders

By Samuel Smith, Deputy Managing Editor Tuesday, March 10, 2020

Democratic party White House hopeful Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders addresses supporters at a rally in Columbia, South Carolina, on February 28, 2020. Sanders is battling moderate rivals including former vice president Joe Biden and rising challenger Mike Bloomberg, the billionaire former mayor of New York, to see who faces President Donald Trump in November's election. | JIM WATSON/AFP via Getty Images

1. Sanders' religious background and beliefs

Although Sanders comes from a Jewish family, he has admitted in the past that he is “not particularly religious” nor a member of any synagogue.

"I am not actively involved in organized religion," Sanders told The Washington Post in January 2016.

Even though he does believe in God, Sanders told the newspaper that he doesn’t believe in God in the traditional manner.

“I think everyone believes in God in their own ways,” Sanders said at the time. “To me, it means that all of us are connected, all of life is connected, and that we are all tied together.”

But during a February 2016 town hall, Sanders said he “would not be running for president” if he “did not have very strong religious and spiritual feelings."

“It's a guiding principle in my life, absolutely," Sanders said at the time, according to CNN.

"You know, everyone practices the religion in a different way. To me, I would not be here tonight, I would not be running for president of the United States if I did not have very strong religious and spiritual feelings.”

In July 2016, Sanders denied rumors generating from within the DNC that he is an atheist.

“I am not an atheist," Sanders said on CNN. "I mean, it is an outrage and sad that you would have people in important positions in the DNC trying to undermine my campaign.”

Although Sanders was more hesitant in 2016 to embrace his Jewish roots, he has been more open about his Jewish background in 2020.

Last month, the Sanders campaign promoted the fact that Sanders would be the “first Jewish president.”

“I'm very proud to be Jewish and I look forward to becoming the first Jewish president in the history of this country,” Sanders says in a Facebook campaign ad that attempts to tie anti-Semitism to President Trump.

In February, Sanders offended many Christians and Jews when he said he would not attend the American Israel Public Affairs Committee policy conference in Washington, D.C., citing his concerns about the conference giving support for “leaders who express bigotry and oppose basic Palestinian rights," noting his dislike for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.