Bernie Sanders nearly storms off ABC News set when asked about AOC in Senate

He was feeling the Bern of that question.

Sen. Bernie Sanders grew visibly agitated and leaped up from his seat to cut an interview short after getting asked about whether his protege Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez should vie for the Senate.

“Would you like to see her join you in the Senate?” ABC News’ Jonathan Karl asked Sanders (I-Vt.), 83, after the senator praised the “Squad” rep for advancing progressive causes.

Looming over his question, despite not being stated outright, was buzz about whether Ocasio-Cortez should challenge Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), who is up for reelection in 2028.

“Right now we have, as I said, just a whole lot of people in the Congress. OK, Jonathan, thanks,” Sanders tersely replied, trying to cut off the pre-taped interview with ABC’s “This Week.”

Sanders then brusquely stood right up from his seat and quickly bolted out of the camera, clearly agitated by the question.

“Wait, I got one more — I got one more,” Karl pleaded with Sanders, realizing he hit a nerve. “This is an important question.”

“No, you wanna do nonsense. Do nonsense,” Sanders shot back, annoyed. “I don’t want to talk about inside-the-beltway stuff. I got 32,000 people [at my rallies].”

Karl pleaded with Sanders while he was out of the camera’s view, noting that he asked about Ocasio-Cortez because she was out with the Vermont senator in recent rallies across the country.

Sanders stressed “I don’t want to talk about” the Ocasio-Cortez question before agreeing to sit back down and answer Karl’s final inquiry.

The last question was about whether Sanders was going to run again given the monster crowds he managed to draw over recent days during his “Fighting the Oligarchy Tour” with Ocasio-Cortez.

“Right now I’m very proud that the people of the state of Vermont sent me back to the Senate with 63% of the vote,” Sanders replied. “I’m Vermont’s senator. That’s what I do. And I’m very happy to do it. I am 83 years of age. And I’m tired.”

The Vermont independent was just reelected last November to a fourth term in the Senate and won’t be up for reelection until 2030, by which time he will turn 89. At the moment, he is the second-oldest senator after Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), 91.

Sanders teamed up with AOC to hold rallies across the country in Las Vegas, Denver, parts of Arizona and elsewhere, seeking to gin up opposition to President Trump.

They’ve drawn massive crowds, mirroring the energy Sanders garnered during both his failed 2016 and 2020 presidential bids.

“When I first came to the Congress in the House, I helped form the Progressive Caucus. We had five people in it at that time,” Sanders recounted on ABC’s “This Week.” “Now they have close to 100.

“You got a whole lot of good people. Alexandria is extraordinary. I am so impressed by her work in Congress and her — just, she inspires young people all over the country.”