‘All set for Bernie’: Trump says he was ready to hammer progressive senator as ‘a communist’

‘I think it’s going to be very hard for him to come back,’ president says of Vermont senator

Donald Trump said he was “all set” to run this fall against progressive Vermont senator Bernie Sanders, predicting the self-described democratic-socialist has no path to the Democratic nomination.

“I was all set for Bernie,” the president said during a re-election campaign town hall in Scranton, Pennsylvania. “Communist. He’s a communist.”

“Then we have this crazy thing that happened on Tuesday, which he thought was Thursday,” Mr Trump said of former Vice President Joe Biden‘s gaffe about the day of the week as 14 states held primaries.

Mr Biden scored 10 wins and took the all-important delegate lead over Mr Sanders, driven by his Saturday win in South Carolina and support from several Democratic moderates who dropped out this week and immediately endorsed him.

Both either lead or are tied with Mr Trump in hypothetical one-on-one races, signalling the 2020 race could be a photo finish.

“I think in a certain way, Bernie would be tougher because he’s got a base,” Mr Trump said. “But I was all set ... for Bernie.”

“I think it’s going to be very hard for him to come back,” the president said, alluding to Mr Biden’s 627-551 delegate lead over Mr Sanders.