US Elections: Obama Meets Privately with Sanders Days Before Iowa Caucuses

“It’s no secret we have differences in opinion,” Bernie Sanders said of his relationship with the president after a private meeting held in the Oval Office Wednesday.

Sanders highlighted that he disagreed with President Obama over taxes and the Trans-Pacific Partnership deal.

“But by and large, over the last seven years on major issue over major issue, I have stood by his side where he has taken on unprecedented Republican obstructionism and has tried to do the right thing for the American people,” the Democratic presidential hopeful said.

The independent senator from Vermont’s meeting with Obama has taken place days before voting in the presidential process begins.

“It was just a discussion to get myself updated on some of the current issues facing this country, how we most effectively deal with (the Islamic State group), his assessment on Iran and how we work with Iran and our relationship with Iran, that’s what it was about,” Sanders added, confirming nobody else participated in the private meeting.

The 45-minute meeting was scheduled less than a week before the Democratic Party’s nominating process kicks off Feb. 1 with the Iowa caucuses.

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The left-wing senator is challenging former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton for the Democratic nomination for November’s presidential election in the United States. He dodged press questions about whether or not he thinks Obama favors Clinton.

While Obama has not officially backed either candidate, he gave Clinton a boost Monday when he called her “extraordinarily experienced” and “wicked smart.” He defended her campaign style, which he described as cautious, saying that she “knows every policy inside and out.”

The New York Times reports that while it has been a struggle to organize a private meeting with Sanders, Obama and Clinton have met several times in the last year.

On Tuesday, Sanders criticized Obama’s nominee to head the Food and Drug Administration, Dr. Robert Califf, saying he is too close to the pharmaceutical industry to regulate impartially.

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