Sarah Silverman to Bernie or Bust Supporters at DNC: ‘You’re Being Ridiculous’
Tensions were high during the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia on Monday (July 25), so it was a breath of fresh air to have comedian Sarah Silverman take the podium in an attempt to bring a little levity and humor back into politics.
Unfortunately, things took a complicated turn for the guest speaker when she went off-script to address a specific subset of impassioned Bernie Sanders supporters.
Initially met by cheers, the comedian kicked off her speech by discussing her early support of Senator Sanders and his fervent belief that all Americans deserve "quality healthcare and education, not just the wealthy elite."
However, it was during her segue-way into voicing support for democratic nominee Hillary Clinton in which the crowd exposed a vocal split between Clinton and Sanders supporters.
"Hillary heard the passion of the people, the people behind Bernie, and brought those passions into the party’s platform, and that, that is the process of democracy at it’s very best. And it’s very cool to see," Silverman said before announcing, "Hillary is our democratic nominee and I will proudly vote for her."
The revelation was met with an uproar of cheers and boos, as well as "Bernie!" chants, but despite the division, she continued in an effort to draw Bernie supporters to Clinton's side.
"I will vote for Hillary with gusto as I continue to be inspired and moved to action by the ideals set forth by Bernie, who will never stop fighting for us," she said. "I am proud to be a part of Bernie's movement and a vital part of that movement is making absolutely sure that Hillary Clinton is our next president of the United States."
Following her statement, Silverman and fellow speaker and Saturday Night Live alum Senator Al Franken took pause at the podium while straining to stretch their segment due to a production issue. As chants of "Bernie! Bernie! Bernie!" grew to deafening levels, the comedian grew more exasperated by the lack of unity within the DNC crowd.
After failing to unify the audience with counter-chants of "Unity! Unity!" and "Hillary! Hillary!", Silverman further incensed the crowd by delivering a personal, frustrated critique of Sanders' most adamant and unwavering supports.
"Can I just say, to the Bernie-or-bust people: You’re being ridiculous," she scolded.
The statement — which CNN confirmed was unscripted during a post-DNC interview with the comedian — was, of course, met with another roar of chants and jeering.
Watch the full speech below.
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