Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, who is an Independent, announced Tuesday morning that he is running for President of the United States as a Democrat for the second time. He lost the Democratic presidential nomination to Hillary Clinton in 2016.
Sanders said he is running to oppose President Donald Trump, and to enact many of the progressive ideas — including universal health care coverage, a $15 minimum wage and reducing student debt — that he championed in 2016.
"I think the current occupant of the White House is an embarrassment to our country," Sanders said. "I think he is a pathological liar... I also think he is a racist, a sexist, a homophobe, a xenophobe, somebody who is gaining cheap political points by trying to pick on minorities, often undocumented immigrants."
He is in his third term as a U.S. Senator. This time around, the race has a very different look and feel, with many more women running and many more candidates as a whole throwing their hats into the ring for the Democratic nomination. Sanders acknowledged that, along with the long-standing allegations of racism and sexism, and more recent high-profile reports of sexual harassment that have been plaguing his operations.