During an interview with WHO-TV , Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders spoke about his recent heart attack and how it has affected his state of mind. According to the 78-year-old Vermont senator, the health scare — which was the result of a blocked artery — gave him more motivation to continue fighting for a Medicare for All healthcare plan that is one of the central pillars of his campaign.
“If anything, that incident has motivated me even more,” he said.
Sanders said the incident pushed him to make some changes to his lifestyle, such as eating healthier and increasing his exercise time.
The presidential candidate also spoke of the well-wishes he received from Americans that were praying for his recovery, adding that he and his family are “so grateful” for such support. He said that his position as a United States senator provides him with access to the healthcare he needs, highlighting that there are millions of people who don’t have such a luxury.
According to Sanders, his heart attack was a reminder of such people.
“I truly wondered how many people in this country, if they felt the same pain that I felt…how many people would say, ‘You know what? I’m not going to go to the doctor. I’m not going to the hospital.’”
Sanders’ healthcare plan proposes a move to a single-payer system like Canada’s in which a single government-run plan provides coverage for everyone in the country. In addition, the program goes a step further than countries like Canada and includes coverage for things like dental and vision, as well as new income taxes on employees and employers, Vox reported.
The plan also includes a long-term care benefit for Americans with disabilities both at home or in community settings — an addition from the version of the plan Sanders introduced in 2017.
. @BernieSanders spending a lot of time talking Medicare for all at a “Green Jobs Town Hall” in Orange City, Iowa, calling it “nonsense” his plan would “disrupt the whole health care system.”
“In fact, our approach is the least disruptive,” he says. pic.twitter.com/j1N8mhl7bH
— Adam Kelsey (@adamkelsey) November 10, 2019
Following Sanders’ heart attack, he appeared in Queensbridge Park, New York, for a comeback rally that included appearances from filmmaker Michael Moore and Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez — both supporters of Sanders’ campaign. The massive gathering drew over 25,000 people and was reportedly the largest crowd supporting any Democratic campaign thus far in the primary.
As The Inquisitr previously reported, Sanders’ wave of support has been worrying some Republican strategists, who are reportedly growing increasingly alarmed about his momentum.
“Anyone who counted out Bernie Sanders is going to be wrong,” said former Trump campaign adviser Michael Caputo, per The Daily Beast .
“I see Bernie as far more formidable now than he ever was. With the endorsements from the freshman congresswomen, I think it brings a new life back into his campaign.”