East Idahoans ‘Feel the Bern’ as Sanders speaks to energetic crowd
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IDAHO FALLS — Folks started lining up before 5:30 a.m. Friday for a rare chance to see a Democratic presidential candidate speak in east Idaho.
Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders arrived at the Skyline High School gym nearly six hours later and was greeted by thousands of enthusiastic supporters.
This was Sanders first visit to Idaho, and he spoke for nearly an hour – sharing his beliefs on climate change, women’s rights to equal pay and abortion, campaign reform, education, and health care.
“Health care is a right of all people and not a privilege,” Sanders said. “This idea is not something that is radical. Health care for all exists in every other major country on earth. It is wrong to deny health care to anybody.”
Sanders didn’t hold back from criticizing opponent Hillary Clinton, who currently leads the Democratic presidential race with 1,639 delegates. Sanders has 859, and 2,383 are needed to win the nomination.
“Secretary Clinton has given speeches on Wall Street for something like $225,000 a speech,” Sanders said. “She should release those speeches for the public to read and she has said that she will make those transcripts public if other candidates do the same. So, let me announce today here in Idaho, I am prepared to make all my Wall Street speeches available to the public. Here they are!”
Sanders, who says he hasn’t spoken to any Wall Street businesses, then motioned as if he were throwing the speeches into the crowd as the room erupted into applause.
The Vermont senator also called Republican presidential frontrunner Donald Trump “a pathological liar” and said he doesn’t believe the billionaire businessman will ever be elected president.
Sanders said he has received more votes from people under 30 than Clinton and Trump combined.
Many in the audience were young adults, including a group of students from Brigham Young University-Idaho.
“This is the candidate the really cares about the people of America,” BYU-Idaho student Teresa Jack told EastIdahoNews.com. “He really cares about the working class, which is what we really are all. That’s the heart of this country, and that’s the heart of Idaho.”
Attendees noted how nice it was to have a Democratic candidate in Idaho Falls, especially after recent visits from Republican presidential nominees.
After his speech, Sanders flew to Salt Lake City for a rally. He will be back in the Gem State on Monday, holding a campaign event in Boise.
“We have a path to victory that goes right through Idaho,” Sanders said.
Idaho Democrats will then hold their presidential caucus Tuesday evening.
Watch Sen. Sanders entire speech here: