Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders kicked off his presidential campaign Saturday not far from the rent-controlled apartment where he grew up in Brooklyn, declaring himself the Democrat best prepared to beat fellow New Yorker Donald Trump in 2020.
“I did not have a father who gave me millions of dollars to build luxury skyscrapers, casinos and country clubs,” said Sanders. “My experience as a child, living in a family that struggled economically, powerfully influenced my life and my values. I know where I came from. And that is something I will never forget.
“I did not come from a family of privilege that prepared me to entertain people on television by telling workers, ‘You’re fired,’” Sanders added.