Though he doesn’t mention Hillary Clinton by name, it’s no mystery who Bernie Sanders is really going after in his new ads.
A 30-second spot released by Sanders’ presidential campaign Friday, titled “$200,000,” blasts “Wall Street banks” that “shower Washington politicians with campaign contributions and speaking fees” of “over $200,000 an hour.” It’s a direct reference to the Vermont Senator’s Democratic opponent Clinton, whom Goldman Sachs (GS) paid $675,000 for three speeches—or more than $200,000 per speech.
Sanders’ ad followed another his campaign released Thursday, entitled “Art of the Steal,” which proclaims that “Wall Street buys off elections” and “nothing will change until we elect candidates who reject Wall Street money.”
Both ads are set in New York, which holds its presidential primary vote on Tuesday, April 19, and also hosted a Democratic debate on Thursday. Clinton, who served as the U.S. Senator from New York, is heavily favored to win in the state, according to the Wall Street Journal.
The anti-bank rhetoric is a familiar refrain for Sanders, who has frequently criticized Clinton for her perceived Wall Street ties, and made cracking down on corporate “greed” a central pillar of his campaign. This week, he also attacked Goldman Sachs calling it “a fraudulent organization” after it paid a $5.1 billion settlement over its misconduct selling mortgage-backed securities before the financial crisis, as well as Verizon (VZ). Joining a picket line of the telecom company’s striking workers, Sanders told them that Verizon is “just another major American corporation trying to destroy the lives of working Americans.”
Expect Sanders to employ similar words against GOP candidate Donald Trump if the two end up facing off in general election.