Bernie Sanders Tells Wife Jane Not To Stand Next To Him: Could It Cost Bernie The Presidency? [Video]

There’s an awkward video of Bernie Sanders and Bernie’s interaction with his wife Jane Sanders that’s making the rounds, and it’s not a good look for Bernie. Senator Sanders was speaking in Madison, Wisconsin, when the “snub” against Jane happened. The Democratic presidential candidate spoke at a campaign stop on Saturday, March 26, with Bernie being exuberant over his recent victory — however, during that celebration, Sanders made a move against Jane that isn’t going down well over the Interwebs.

Warning: The following YouTube video contains an explicit word in the title, “Bernie Being A D*** to His Wife on National TV – ‘Don’t stand next to me.’,” which could be offensive to some viewers.

As reported by the Blue Nation Review, Bernie was celebrating a great election night, but in the moment that Sanders was expressing his joy, video caught Sanders acknowledging Jane — on Bernie’s all-important right-hand side — but at the same time making a motion to wave Jane away when she stepped forward.

Bernie can be heard either telling Jane not to stand there or “don’t stand next to me,” with an arm movement that pushed Jane back gently, as if to instruct her that he didn’t want her standing there the whole time. It may have been an innocent instruction towards his wishes at the moment — but it’s not being received well online.

With Bernie’s wife, Jane, being held up as a woman who has long supported her husband, to see Bernie wave Jane away or tell his wife not to stand there is being interpreted as Bernie not wanting to share the spotlight with his “help mate” or right-hand woman. As expected, such a gesture is making people online react with fury.

Bernie’s wife, Jane O’Meara has been called “the brains of the family” by Bernie, as reported by MSNBC. She is an accomplished woman who got her Ph.D. at 50 years of age. Jane relented and “allowed” Bernie to run for president after a veteran came up to the couple and said that Bernie helped him get his benefits after 30 years, with the vet proclaiming that he’d do anything to support Bernie’s run for president. With tears in her eyes, Jane hugged the military man and told Bernie that she guessed he had to run for president after the emotional interaction with the man.

For Bernie to view his wife Jane as his biggest supporter but then have video emerge of Sanders telling Jane not to stand next to him is controversial. While Bernie merely could have been telling her his preference to not have Jane block the camera shot or to not have Jane stand by his side, like some sort of wife standing by her man — akin to politicos who’ve gotten in trouble and feature a repentant man with a wife glued to his side to prove forgiveness — Bernie’s true intentions aren’t clear.

Sanders appeared to want to acknowledge Jane quickly, and then have his wife move away just as quickly from the podium. When Jane seemed to interpret Bernie’s move as wanting her to stand by his side, she was quickly corrected by Bernie.

What is clear is that simple gestures on the campaign trail have had large implications in the past toward victory or defeat. As reported by ABC News, Howard Dean’s odd scream has followed him for 12 years and counting. It has been called a scream from 2004 that doomed his run for president.

Warning: Dean’s scream could be offensive to some viewers.

So, could Bernie waving away his wife become the awkward “Howard Dean scream” moment for Sanders? Time will tell, but reactions pouring into social media don’t bode well for “Birdie Sanders,” who is being accused of being more welcoming to a bird on his podium than his wife by his side, sharing a moment of victory.

As written by Stephen Bedtelyon on Facebook about Sanders’ snub of his wife, he believes Bernie’s supporters are blind to his sexism.

“Why are young women still so blind to Bernie Sanders’ sexism?”

“I’ll share my stage with a bird but not my wife.” (Nudges Jane off the stage)

“Excuse me Hillary, but you don’t talk while I’m talking.” (Waves his finger in her face)

“Not to mention the gender pay gap within his Senate office AND presidential campaign.”

[Photo by AP Photo/Andy Manis]