Bernie Sanders spent more on private jet travel than any other 2020 Democrat in Q4

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) spent more on private jet travel than any of his Democratic presidential primary competitors in the fourth quarter of 2019, according to the Washington Free Beacon.

 

Sanders, a socialist who supports the radical Green New Deal climate change plan, spent approximately $1.2 million to fly on a private plane — likely to get him back and forth from Washington, D.C. and Iowa or other campaign stops as the primary escalated.

Former Vice President Joe Biden spent the second-most of the Democratic presidential candidates, with his campaign spending just over $1 million on private airfare. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), spent $720,518; former New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg spent roughly $646,000; and former South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg spent $323,518.

Observers have taken notice of how climate change alarmists like Sanders seemingly contradict themselves by flying private while warning of the potentially irreversible damage of CO2 emissions.

"This is the problem of presenting your purity above your practicality," Democratic strategist Chris Lippincott said, according to the New York Times. "When we think about certain candidates who talk a lot about the environment ... you're going to hold them to a different standard."

The Sanders campaign said that it compensates for the environmental impact of heavy private jet use by purchasing carbon offsets, which are essentially donations to environmental groups that are working to reduce carbon emissions in other ways. The campaign spent just over $9,000 on carbon offsets through the first three quarters of 2019.

Sanders advocates for the creation of an inter-city high speed rail system as an alternative to car or plane travel.

"The scientific community is telling us in no uncertain terms that we have less than 11 years left to transform our energy system away from fossil fuels to energy efficiency and sustainable energy, if we are going to leave this planet healthy and habitable for ourselves, our children, grandchildren, and future generations," the Green New Deal section of Sanders' website says.