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4 year oldBack on Capitol Hill after another stinging primary setback, the gruff Vermont senator groused Wednesday that he’s dealing with the “f--king” coronavirus when asked what his plans are for his floundering presidential campaign.
Sanders — who was crushed by Joe Biden in Tuesday’s three primaries — barked the expletive after reporters cornered him on the heels of the Senate passing a multibillion-dollar coronavirus relief package.
“I’m dealing with a f--king global crisis,” Sanders said after a reporter asked when he plans to make a decision about his campaign. “Right now, I’m trying to do my best to make sure that we don’t have an economic meltdown and that people don’t die. Is that enough for you to keep me busy for today?”
The Sanders blowup came after his campaign abruptly suspended all of his political Facebook ads, a signal he may be in the early stages of pulling the plug on his presidential aspirations.
The Facebook ad freeze prompted a social media frenzy, and several reporters tweeted Sanders had decided to suspend his campaign.
But Sanders campaign communications director Mike Casca shot down the rumors as “absolutely false" in a tweet.
Nonetheless, the campaign’s ad scrub remained unexplained. According to Facebook data, Sanders launched nearly 40 ads on Tuesday alone, all of which are now deactivated, along with all other campaign plugs.
Sanders also pulled most of his Google ads Wednesday, according to data.
Before the dropout debacle, Sanders campaign manager Faiz Shakir said the senator planned to hold meetings to "assess” his chances over the coming days.
“The next primary contest is at least three weeks away,” Shakir said in a statement, suggesting Sanders isn’t in a rush to make a final decision. “Sen. Sanders is going to be having conversations with supporters to assess his campaign."
“He is focused on the government response to the coronavirus outbreak and ensuring that we take care of working people and the most vulnerable," Shakir said.
Biden has taken a commanding lead in the Democratic race since sweeping 10 primaries on March 3.
On Tuesday, Biden won primaries in Florida, Illinois and Arizona, virtually leaving Sanders without a viable path to the Democratic nomination.
As the dismal results rolled in Tuesday, Sanders held a live-streamed policy speech about the coronavirus from his Capitol Hill office. He did not acknowledge his defeats or even mention the ongoing primary contest.
Sanders’ wavering comes as the coronavirus has forced the delay of primaries in several states, making it even less likely for him to mount a comeback.
Some Sanders supporters want him to bring his fight to the Democratic National Convention to promote his progressive agenda.
But other Democrats view Biden as the best bet to beat Trump.
After the Tuesday results landed, Trump tweeted that the De
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