Here's why Trump keeps pumping up Bernie Sanders

[Skya Rhen]

https://edition.cnn.com/2020/02/03/opinions/trump-bernie-election-avlon/?hpt=ob_blogfooterold

(CNN)Donald Trump loves attacking Democrats as "far-left radical socialists."
So why does Team Trump spend so much time pumping up Bernie Sanders?
Spoiler alert: It's a trap.

But let's look at the evidence. For weeks, President Trump has been rushing to Bernie's defense and accusing Democrats of rigging the primaries against him.

He accused Democrats of timing his impeachment trial to hurt Bernie Sanders' chances, an allegation dutifully echoed by House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy and Don Jr. The President was at it again on the eve of the Iowa caucus, tweeting that the Democratic National Committee was trying to "rig the election against Sanders," even as he called Bernie Sanders a "communist" in a pre-Super Bowl safe-space interview with Sean Hannity on Fox News.

It's been a repeated riff for months. Conservative commentator Hugh Hewitt on "Meet The Press" announced that he was voting for Bernie in Virginia's open primary -- because he wanted a clear contrast between an authentic socialist and Donald Trump. This isn't subtle. Team Trump wants to run against Bernie Sanders. If you don't believe me, just ask them.
"We're trying to promote the rise," an unnamed Trump adviser told Jonathan Swann from Axios. "The campaign has been pumping up the national messaging behind Bernie, pushing out fundraising emails. When you attack his policies, it gets the media to talk about him."

Out from behind the veil, GOP consultant Ed Rollins tweeted out an anti-Warren ad, saying: "Our SuperBowl is facing Bernie Sanders in the general. What's the best way to ensure @realdonaldtrump faces Crazy Bernie? Making sure Dem primary voters really get to know Elizabeth 'Pocahontas' Warren."

So why does the Trump team want to pump up Bernie Sanders' chances? Hint: It's not because they share some of the same protectionist impulses on trade or isolationist impulses on foreign policies, as Trump has argued in the past. And it's not because Trump and Sanders were the two candidates being pushed by Russian trolls and bots in the 2016 election.
It's because Donald Trump does best running against a self-described socialist, beating a socialist by an average of six points, despite currently losing to the named top-tier Democratic candidates in head-to-head match-ups.
The candidate who has consistently done best against Trump head to head -- including in crucial swing states -- is Joe Biden.

[Watchfoxheadexplodes]

1. But Sander's supporter's deny this

And think Sander's can crush trump in some sort of revolution landslide.

Trump thinks he can get Sanders on a debate stage and humiliate him or worse point out where they both are similar

[unitedwethrive]

2. This all rings true, and certainly much of the social media that riles up the Sanders supporters

is planted by Russian/GOP sources to get them thinking that all the Dems are against them.

[Gothmog]

3. Republicans Launch Operation To Help Bernie Sanders Win The South Carolina Primary

Link to tweet

In an indication that Republicans would most like to run against Bernie Sanders in the November general election, Trump-supporting leaders in South Carolina are urging GOP voters to support the Vermont senator in the state’s primary on Feb. 29.

It’s a clear effort to damage Joe Biden’s candidacy further as the former VP will be relying even more on South Carolina following his lackluster performance in the chaotic Iowa caucus.

According to The Hill, “The plan – orchestrated by Greenville GOP chairman Nate Leupp and several other prominent Republican Party leaders – revolves around GOP leadership’s belief that Sanders poses the least amount of challenge to President Trump in November’s general election and its goal of getting the Palmetto State’s Democratic lawmakers to agree to close the state’s primaries.”