Celebrity performer Cher had strong words of rebuke for 2020 presidential hopeful Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) after he said felons should have the right to vote—including terrorists and rapists.
Sanders statement was prompted by a question by a Harvard student whether he “would support enfranchising people like the Boston Marathon bomber, a convicted terrorist and murderer.”
The socialist senator confirmed that people convicted of any crimes—whether in jail or out—should be allowed “to participate in our democracy.”
Cher expressed outrage at Sanders’ statement.
“Does Bernie Sanders Really Believe [People] In Prison Who Are Murderers, Rapists, Child Molesters, BOSTON [Marathon] BOMBERS …STILL DESERVE THE RIGHT TO VOTE,” the 72-year-old singer and actress wrote on Twitter in a since-deleted post on April 23.
Donald Trump Jr. weighed in on Cher’s post.
“Crazie Bernie’s ideas are so bad he actually managed to #redpill Cher,” Trump Jr. wrote.
Cher’s Tuesday tweet was the second of its kind this month. In an earlier message, she blasted the idea of sending illegal aliens to sanctuary cities, tweeting: “I Understand Helping struggling Immigrants, but MY CITY (Los Angeles) ISNT TAKING CARE OF ITS OWN,” Cher said in a tweet.“WHAT ABOUT THE 50,000+????????Citizens WHO LIVE ON THE STREETS. PPL WHO LIVE BELOW POVERTY LINE,& HUNGRY? If My State Can’t Take Care of Its Own(Many Are VETS) How Can it Take Care Of More?”
‘Running Down a Slippery Slope’
Sanders defended extending the right to vote “even for terrible people,” in his town hall speech in Manchester, New Hampshire, on April 22.He was asked by Harvard college student Anne Carlstein whether he “would support enfranchising people like the Boston Marathon bomber, a convicted terrorist and murderer. Do you think those convicted of sexual assault should have the opportunity to vote for politicians who have a direct impact on women’s rights?”
Sanders responded by saying: “I think the right to vote is inherent to our democracy. Yes, even for terrible people, because once you start chipping away and you say, ‘That guy committed a terrible crime, not gonna let him vote. Well, that person did that. Not gonna let that person vote,’ you’re running down a slippery slope.”
The Vermont senator buttressed his position by saying the Constitution says “everybody can vote” and that “some people in jail can vote.”
Sanders said denial of the right to vote should not be part of the punishment for crime.
“If somebody commits a serious crime—sexual assault, murder, they’re gonna be punished,” Sanders said. “They may be in jail for 10 years, 20 years, 50 years, their whole lives. That’s what happens when you commit a serious crime.”
“I believe that people who commit crimes, they pay the price. When they get out of jail, I believe they certainly should have the right the vote, but I do believe that even if they are in jail, they’re paying their price to society, but that should not take away their inherent American right to participate in our democracy,” the senator said.
He labeled efforts to deny those convicted of criminal offenses as attempts “to suppress the vote” by “cowardly Republican governors.”
The Emerson poll showed Biden performing best in a head-to-head contest with President Donald Trump, with 53 percent of the respondents picking Biden and 47 percent favoring the incumbent.
The Trump campaign is focused on exposing a dramatic shift toward socialism among the Democratic candidates while spotlighting the successes of the president’s administration.
“So we’re all very keenly focused on socialism—every single one of us in the campaign.”
