Bernie Sanders’ press secretary on Wednesday compared demands for him to release his medical records to the “birther” smears against former President Barack Obama, drawing strong backlash.
The Democratic Vermont senator, 78, balked earlier this month at releasing his medical records despite suffering a campaign-trail heart attack in October 2019.
Top spokeswoman Briahna Joy Gray doubled down in a CNN interview on Wednesday, insisting that the onus is on Sanders only to be as forthcoming as the rest of the 2020 Democratic field.
“I think the American people deserve to know exactly as much as every other candidate has released in this race currently and historically,” said Gray.
“What you’re seeing right now is really reminiscent of some of the kind of smear, kind of skepticism campaigns that have been run against a lot of different candidates in the past, questioning where they’re from, aspects of their lineage,” continued Gray, in an apparent reference to “birther” conspiracy theories that said Obama was born outside the United States.
The comparison drew a swift rebuke from many on social media.
“Asking Sanders to release health records he promised to release in not remotely equal to birtherism,” tweeted writer Tim Wise. “Sanders HAD a heart attack. Obama was NOT born in Kenya. One is true, the other false. The parallel is absurd and diminishes the racism of the latter.”
Added user Amee Vanderpool, “Demanding medical records from a 78 year old man who had a heart attack while on the campaign trail is not called Birtherism, it’s called VETTING.”
On CNN, Gray went on to argue that whispers about Sanders’ health and his refusal to release further records are based in political fear from the right.
“What we’re seeing is a kind of smear campaign from the likes of … Republicans who, if they were honest with themselves, don’t support Bernie Sanders for other reasons, largely for the same reasons that millions of working Americans do support Bernie,” she said.
Gray also questioned why the same level of scrutiny wasn’t being given to the health of other candidates, including billionaire Michael Bloomberg.
“It’s really telling, given that none of the same concern is being demonstrated for Michael Bloomberg, who’s the same age as Bernie Sanders, [and] who has suffered heart attacks in the past,” she said.
Gray later tweeted a correction, clarifying that Bloomberg has not had a heart attack, but in 2000 underwent cardiac surgery to have two stents implanted due to a blocked artery — the same procedure Sanders had after his heart attack.
Gray also appeared on CNN on Tuesday, falsely claiming that Bloomberg has faced 64 sexual assault cases.
Sanders has worked his way into the driver’s seat of the Democratic race of late, topping the New Hampshire primary and surging in polls heading into Wednesday night’s debate in Las Vegas, Nevada.
But he faces a stiff challenge from Bloomberg in particular, who will make his 2020 debate-stage debut in Vegas after some promising poll results of his own — including a Virginia survey that saw him tied with Sanders for first.