Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders was clapped down at Thursday’s Democratic presidential debate when he was asked a question about race and tried to pivot to climate change instead.

While Sanders was criticized on social media for his awkward pivot, his behavior actually makes sense in the context of intersectionality.

Moderator Amna Nawaz, a moderator for PBS, asked Sanders a pointed question related to race.

But Sanders pivoted.

“I wanted to get back to the issue of climate change for a moment because I do believe this is the existential issue.”

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“Senator, with all respect, this question is about race,” Nawaz replied before Sanders could continue. “Can you answer the question as it was asked?”

The audience cheered in response, giving Nawaz perhaps its most vigorous response of the night up to that point.

Watch below:

Bernie gets burned on stage: “Senator, with all respect this question is about race, can you answer the question as it was asked?” #DemDebate pic.twitter.com/Zn26dreAsE — The Daily Beast (@thedailybeast) December 20, 2019

Sanders’ pivot got quite the reaction on social media:

Bernie. Race. Cringe. — Jennifer Rubin (@JRubinBlogger) December 20, 2019

Oh dear God Bernie don’t duck the question about race? Please. — Joan Walsh (@joanwalsh) December 20, 2019

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Bernie just blew off the race question. And got called out. Wow, this is a bad look. #DemDebate — Shannon (@TheStagmania) December 20, 2019

Mistake for Bernie to try to pivot away from race.

Smart for moderate to reign it in “With all due respect the question is about race…” — Michele Norris (@michele_norris) December 20, 2019

In the context of the leftist theory of intersectionality, Sanders’ reply actually does make sense.

Many on the left believe all issues of oppression are intrinsically linked — in other words, you cannot talk one without considering the others as well.

If you’re not familiar with intersectionality, Reason’s Robby Soave has offered a concise definition.

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“The idea is that various kinds of oppression — racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, economic inequality, and others — are simultaneously distinct from each other and inherently linked,” he wrote.

“They are distinct in the sense that they stack: A black woman suffers from two kinds of oppression (racism and sexism), whereas a white woman suffers from just one (sexism),” he added.

“But they are also interrelated, in that they are all forms of oppression that should be opposed with equal fervor.”

Indeed, Sanders would go on to talk about why he believes race and climate change are linked:

Real talk on the intersection of climate change and race with Bernie. For those of you not clued in it’s called Climate Justice. #DemDebate pic.twitter.com/UD2qGnu0XS — UniteBlue (@UniteBlue) December 20, 2019

The issue with intersectionality, of course, is that infinite intersections exist.

The latest injustice will always be displaced by a newer one, and thus, intersectionality collapses on itself.

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