THE VIEW COMPLETE BERNIE SANDERS INTERVIEW

Bernie Sanders

Yesterday on ABC’s “The View” Democratic Presidential Candidate Senator Bernie Sanders sat down with the co-hosts for his first interview following his New Hampshire primary win.

The Vermont senator discussed his victory and keeping momentum alive, education, Wall Street, gun control, the Flint water crisis and reaching out to the African American community. He also said some nice things about his opponents, tried his very own ice cream flavor for the first time and shot some hoops with the co-hosts. Senator Sanders’ wife, Jane Sanders also spoke with co-hosts about Donald Trump. Take a look:

Bernie Sanders On The View

Bernie Sanders on New Hampshire Win & Education

WHOOPI GOLDBERG: We were so honored that he's making this his first stop right after that huge win. So please welcome Senator and Presidential candidate Bernie Sanders.

AUDIANCE: Bernie, Bernie, Bernie, Bernie, Bernie, Bernie, Bernie, Bernie, Bernie, Bernie, Bernie.

WG: First of all, congratulations on this win last night. I mean, it was quite something. But the whole -- the whole journey has been quite something. People fainting. They're screaming and passing out. So my question is, it's a wonderful thing that's happened, but how do you keep this momentum? How do you go to -- I don't know -- Nevada, how do you go to the Carolinas? How do you keep this going?

BERNIE SANDERS: With a lot of effort, I'll tell ya. There's a lot of hard work in front of us, but Whoopi, I think the message that we're bringing forth, that this country is supposed to be a nation of fairness, and we're not seeing that fairness right now. We have massive levels of income and wealth inequality, the 20th wealthiest people in America now own more wealth than the bottom 50%, 150 million people. As I go around the country, we're finding kids who leave school 50, $100,000 in debt.

JOY BEHAR: That's crazy.

BS: It is. We're punishing people for trying to get an education. What sense is that?

JB: I was telling you before which I've said on the show that when I went to college -- this is how old I am -- it was $24 a term at Queens College. That was free. That's free.

BS: And you had schools like the University of California, one of the great public university systems in the world, virtually tuition free. Today you go to Germany, Scandinavia -- I was at a meeting once and I said in Scandinavia college education is free and some kid from Finland raised his hand and said you're wrong. They pay us to go to college. The point being that countries issue investing in young people. They want the best educated workers.

Bernie Sanders on Tackling Wall Street

CANDACE CAMERON BURE: You said last night that Wall Street is running the country.

BS: Yes.

CCB: And that you implied that Hillary is tied to big banks and people are tired of the greed. Do you think that some of the votes you got in New Hampshire were from people just tired and not wanting to vote for Hillary?

BS: Let me give you an example. Everybody here knows that the greed and recklessness and illegal behavior on Wall Street drove this country into a horrible recession, right? Three weeks ago Goldman Sachs, one of the large financial institutions in the country, reached a settlement with the federal government for $5 billion. Okay? How many people in Goldman Sachs will now have a criminal record? Zero. Some kid in New York City picked up with marijuana today will have a police record for the rest of his life. But if you're an executive on Wall Street whose illegal behavior helped destroyed the economy, not a problem. And I think people are upset about that. 

AUDIENCE: Go Bernie!

JB: The kids love you.

Bernie Sanders On Gun Control

SUNNY HOSTIN: Senator Sanders, guns and gun violence in our country has become one of our nation's biggest problems. Hillary Clinton has argued repeatedly that you are out of step with what Progressive voters feel about gun control. Vermont has some of the most lax gun laws in our country and you have voted against the Brady bill. You did support allowing riders to bring guns in checked bags onto Amtrak trains. If you become president what will you do about guns in our nation?

BS: Let me just say right now about Amtrak, right now if you wanted to take a gun on an airplane and you checked it, you can do that so that's not a controversial issue. But here's the point. I resent people saying that I am out of touch. In 1988 I ran for the United States Congress from Vermont, okay? The gun people were against me because in 1988 I said I did not think it appropriate that we should be selling assault weapons in this country. I lost that election by three points, okay? I have consistently fought for instant background checks because at the end of the day what we want is to keep guns out of the hands of people who should not have them, people with criminal backgrounds, people mentally unstable. I want to work with President Obama to expand that right now. I am strongly supportive of doing away with what we call the gun show loophole which means that you can avoid the instant background check through the internet or a gun show, and you can buy a gun legally without having to go through the instant background check. So I think I am very much in tune with where the American people are in gun safety. 

WG: Let me -- I want to just ask you -- 

BS: And by the way, by the way, I have a D-minus voting record from the NRA. That should say something.

Bernie Sanders on EPA and Flint Water Crisis

WG: Say you get elected. You know you're going to be facing a house and senate that is really going to be, I feel, very obstructionist. I could be wrong, it's possible. How do you feel about the EPA and what's going on in Flint? What do you think we can do to prevent this kind of insanity from happening everywhere? Because we know there are a lot of states in the union right now that have these problems but nothing as bad as Flint has. What would you -- how would you get around these folks saying, oh, it's not a big deal?

BS: I think you have one of the great public health crises of our time.

WG: Yeah. 

BS: I have asked for governor Snyder's resignation. And I didn't say that easily. I didn't make that politically. The irresponsibility there in terms of what the government -- state government knew and should have done and did not do is literally beyond comprehension. What I will say to you, Whoopi, also as I think most people know, if that was an affluent white community I suspect government would have responded somewhat differently.

RS: Yes.

BS: But it's unspeakable tragedy because we're not going to know for many, many years what the long-term impact on brain development is for the kids right now. But the bottom line is if the state is not prepared to act, the federal government should act decisively in every respect.

Bernie Sanders on African American Community

BS: We have a lot of support within the African-American community, but I think most importantly, I think the reason we'll do well is our views on criminal justice in this country, and that is we have a broken criminal justice system. Why should we in America have more people in jail largely African-American and Latino than any other country on Earth? [ Applause ] And I think most Americans, black, white, Latino, whoever, understand that it is not acceptable to see unarmed people being shot by police officers. I'm a former mayor so I know most police officers work hard doing a very difficult job, but when a police officer breaks the law like any other public official, that officer must be held accountable. [ Applause ] And let me just say this. When youth unemployment in the African-American community, kids who are unemployed or underemployed for high school graduates is 51%, don't tell me we do not need to invest heavily in the African-American community and create decent paying jobs.

Bernie Sanders Says One Nice Thing About GOP Candidates

CCB: Since this political campaign at times has been a little bit nasty and since Valentine's Day is right around of the corner, I would like for you to say one nice thing, even if it's just one word, about the following people.

JB: Uh-oh, this is going to be challenging.

CCB: John Kasich.

BS: Old friend.

CCB: Donald Trump.

BS: What can I say?

CCB: One nice thing, come on, Bernie, one nice thing.

RS: Nice ties?

JB: Nice hair?

BS: Humble. [ Applause ]

CCB: Hillary Clinton.

BS: Intelligent.

CCB: Ted Cruz.

BS: Loud.

CCB: Is that nice? Okay, that's it.

Bernie Sanders Tastes His Ice Cream Flavor

RS: But you have your own flavor ice cream, just to lighten up the mood a little bit. [ Applause ] Bernie, are you lactose --

BS: I am not. I'm tasting this for the very first time.

CCB: What is it called?

RS: It's called Bernie's Yearnings. Ben and Jerry created one just for you and we had to show this.

BS: Mmm. [ Applause ] Really good. This is the first time I've tasted it.

RS: Did you like it?

BS: Excellent. I'm not just saying that because it's Bernie's yearning.

Bernie Sanders Plays Basketball With The View Co-Hosts

RS: You know it's funny because last night we saw you celebrating your win by shooting some hoops. Normally us girls here wear heels, but we decided to celebrate with you coming on the show by playing some basketball. Are you down for the cause?

BS: All right. Let's do it. [ Cheers and applause ]

RS: Everybody got on heels today. I don't play basketball.

[ Cheers and applause ]

BS: Come on, Whoopi.

Bernie Sanders' Wife Jane on Donald Trump

RS: I just want to point out that your wife is in the audience with us today. Thank you for coming. I have a question for you actually if it's okay. 

JANE SANDERS: Okay. 

RS: You have spoken out publicly about Donald Trump and the "Huffington Post" just labeled him as xenophobic and racist, but then you got -- you won and he won. What does that say about our country? We have such strong this and such loving this. What do you say about that? 

JS: I think they find a commonality, a surface commonality in terms of people saying what they think and not being part of the inside crowd, just saying whatever is polished and prepared by speech writers and by pollsters. I think that's the best face I can put on it considering Valentine's day is around the corner.

RS: Thank you.

Photos Courtesy Of: Lou Rocco/ABC NETWORK