Clinton mocks Bernie Sanders' tuition-free college plan; compares it to 'chocolate milk'

Hillary Clinton, 2016 US Presidential candidate mocked Democrat Bernie Sanders' vision for social welfare and proposal to make free college in the United States. In an interview with Howard Stern, the former US Secretary of State laughed off Sanders' proposal for free public education, moreover, compared it to 'chocolate milk.'

During the interview, Howard Stern said, "Bernie Sanders says, 'free college for everyone,' it's almost like when you run for a fifth-grade class." Vehemently agreeing with Stern, Clinton said, "Chocolate milk for everybody!" 

Free college for the entire United States has been one of the prominent issues raised by Sanders'. He has further called the exorbitant costs of higher education a 'national disgrace.' He has long called for discarding tuition fees for a public college education. However, analysts have been skeptical about the feasibility of his proposal. 

Bernie Sanders' presidential campaign apart from gaining momentum on social media, has also found backing from Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the US Representative for New York’s 14th congressional district. Ocasio-Cortez said that Bernie Sanders was the reason she could believe that running for the office was possible for her. “Because he proved that you could run for office and not take big money, and you could run a grassroots campaign,” said Ocasio-Cortez. Bernie Sanders’ 2020 campaign in November said that it has received contributions from 4 million donors.

READ| United States' millennial politician Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's next goal is to learn Bengali. Here's why

Sanders' Russian asset

After Tulsi Gabbard, now, in the same interview, Clinton suggested that US Senator Bernie Sanders was a Russian asset, whisking a conspiracy theory. The two-time Presidential loser said that Moscow wanted to help elect Bernie Sanders in 2016.  Clinton said, "You know, basically, (Russians) were like, hey, let's do everything we can to elect Donald Trump. Those are words. And they also said Bernie Sanders, but, you know, that's for another day."

In October, Clinton pinned a similar label on 2020 Democratic presidential hopeful Tulsi Gabbard, by calling her a "Russian asset." However, Sanders coming out in Gabbard's support called the allegation "outrageous." He said, "Tulsi Gabbard has put her life on the line to defend this country. People can disagree on issues, but it is outrageous for anyone to suggest that Tulsi is a foreign asset."

78-year-old Sanders who identifies himself as a democratic socialist was a runner-up to Hillary Clinton in the 2016 Democratic presidential primary. Eventually, Clinton lost to Donald Trump. 

READ| Kejriwal compares Delhi health care to Bernie Sanders' 'Universal Healthcare plan'

READ| Donald Trump declares himself as 'greatest of all presidents’ amid impeachment