Bernie Sanders Talks Trump, Brussels Attacks on ‘Kimmel’

Senator Bernie Sanders appeared on ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live on Tuesday night to talk about where he stands in the election, the Brussels terrorist attacks and, of course, Donald Trump. 

The Democratic presidential candidate sat down with the late-night host, who started the interview by asking Sanders if it’s strange to be noticed so much on the street now and taking selfies with fans at Kimmel’s show, when “last year nobody knew you in L.A.” 

“It is a bit of a shock,” Sanders told him, “but it’s a good shock — I’ll take it.” 

Sanders added that even he finds it somewhat surprising that he’s doing as well as he is in the election process, but when it came to his stance on reforming Wall Street, he “knew the message would resonate.” 

Kimmel also asked Sanders about Tuesday’s terrorist attacks in Brussels as well as Trump’s response, in which the Republican frontrunner said, “I would close up our borders to people until we figure out what is going on.”

Sanders responded, “At the end of the day, we cannot allow the Trumps of the world to use these incidents to attack all of the Muslim people in the world. That is unfair. That is not what this country is about.” 

Kimmel also asked Sanders how he thinks he appears in the media compared to Trump. “We focus on the issues,” Sanders said, which he thinks the media doesn’t like to cover as much as Trump’s antics. “We like the fun stuff!” Kimmel joked.

Sanders added that he doesn’t speak to Trump, “and I did not go to his wedding,” he joked, referencing the photo of Hillary Clinton at the candidate’s 2005 wedding to Melania Knauss. 

Addressing the seemingly never-ending 2016 election process, Kimmel asked Sanders how effective he thinks the current system is. “I’m not quite sure this is the best way to elect a president of the United States,” he admitted.

Earlier on in the show, Kimmel joked in his monologue: “Bernie has ignited a lot of passion, primarily among young people. And the incredible thing is, he did it without posting even a single nude selfie. … Bernie can get very fired up. I watch him on these debates. But remember, if it seems like he is yelling at you, it’s because … he is. And you deserve it.” 

Kimmel’s other guests Tuesday included The Night Manager’s Tom Hiddleston and musical guest Granger Smith.

This was Sanders’ second appearance on the ABC late-night show. Last October, he joined Kimmel to discuss his electability against candidates like Clinton and Trump. 

Clinton will also be on Jimmy Kimmel Live this week, appearing on Thursday’s show with Peter Krause and Fifth Harmony.