House Intelligence Committee Chair Rick Crawford (R-Ark.) on Monday labeled Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) a “threat to national security” ahead of Sanders’ planned discussion with top Chinese artificial intelligence experts.
Speaking on Fox Business Network’s “Mornings With Maria,” Crawford criticized Sanders for what he described as a history of embracing communism. “America-last Sen. Sanders is a guy that has a history of embracing communism, visiting the Soviet Union,” Crawford said. “It was back during the Cold War when Americans typically did not go to the Soviet Union, but that was a vacation destination for him.”
The GOP lawmaker further claimed that Sanders, a self-declared Democratic Socialist, “embraces Chinese communism.” He added, “All I can say is if it quacks like a duck, walks like a duck, it’s a duck.” Crawford also directly called Sanders a “communist” and reiterated the national security threat accusation.
HuffPost has reached out to Sanders’ office for comment on the remarks.
In March, Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) introduced the Artificial Intelligence Data Center Moratorium Act, which would pause the construction of new data centers in the United States until comprehensive AI safety regulations are established to protect workers, consumers, and the environment.
Last week, Sanders announced on X that he plans to host a discussion on Wednesday evening featuring “leading AI scientists from the US and China about the need for international cooperation against this existential threat.” He described the topic as “an enormously important issue.”
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent also weighed in, criticizing Sanders in a Monday X post. “The United States is home to the most talented AI researchers in the world. Instead of harnessing American innovation, Senator Sanders is inviting foreign nationals to tell the United States how to regulate AI,” Bessent wrote.
Bessent added that the “real threat to AI safety is letting any nation other than the United States set the global standard.”
