Bernie Sanders addressed his comments in which he called Hillary Clinton “unqualified” to be President during an appearance on “Late Night with Seth Meyers” on Thursday.
“The issue is, after we won in Wisconsin–and that was our sixth victory in seven caucuses and primaries — I think the Clinton campaign has been getting a little bit nervous,” Sanders said. “I think they’ve been getting more negative. And I hope very much we can have an issue-oriented campaign…But if people attack me and distort my record we will respond.”
Sanders reaffirmed his commitment to focusing on the issues, laying out his views on the problems facing the middle class once again.
“If you look at the issues that are out there, people are asking, ‘Why are we the only major country on earth not to guarantee healthcare to all people?’” he said. “‘Why are we the only major country not to have paid family and medical leave? Why do we have more income and wealth inequality than any other major country on earth? Why is the middle class continuing to decline and almost all new wealth going to the top one percent? Why is our infrastructure collapsing?’”
“I think when you talk about the real issues facing the American people, people are saying, ‘This does not make sense,’” he continued. “We need a government that represents all of us and not just wealthy campaign contributors.”
During a rally on Thursday, Sanders went after Clinton, citing a Washington Post headline as proof that Hillary started the problem by attacking his own qualifications.
“The Washington Post had a headline that said ‘Clinton questions whether Sanders is qualified to be president.’ That was what was thrown at me,” Sanders said, per CNN.
“My response is if you want to question my qualifications, then maybe the American people might wonder about your qualifications, Madame Secretary,” he said.
“When you voted for the war in Iraq, the most disastrous foreign policy blunder in the history of America, you might want to question your qualifications,” he continued. “When you voted for trade agreements that cost millions of Americans decent paying jobs, and the American people might want to wonder about your qualifications.”
Watch the video above.