Sen. Bernie Sanders asked the parents of a baby to silence their child after it let out a shriek during one of his campaign events in New Hampshire.
“If we could keep that down a little bit?” the 2020 presidential candidate said Tuesday, pausing from answering a question and looking in the direction of the crying baby.
Politicians have often lavished babies with affection while campaigning, hoping to boost public support, but some candidates have become irritated by the young children at their events.
During the 2016 election, President Trump asked a woman with a crying baby to “get that baby out of here” at a rally in Virginia.
When the baby became upset and interrupted his remarks, the then-Republican nominee said, “Don’t worry about that baby. I love babies.” But as the baby continued crying, Trump changed his mind.
“Actually, I was only kidding, you can get the baby out of here,” Trump said. “That’s all right. Don’t worry. I think she really believed me that I love having a baby crying while I’m speaking. That’s OK. People don’t understand. That’s OK.”
More recently, 2020 hopeful Julián Castro refused to hold a baby during a forum of Democratic candidates in Philadelphia.
“Do you want to go hold that baby?” the moderator asked Castro in July when an activist came on stage with her child to ask a question.
“I’m not going to be the typical politician,” Castro said to a mix of laughs and boos. “I’ve been shaking a million hands. I don’t want to hold her baby.”
