Tuesday night, Bernie Sanders will be responding to Donald Trump’s State of the Union on his digital platforms—Facebook, Twitter, YouTube. A couple things to note:

1. This will be his third straight year giving a response.

2. His speech, as usual, will come after the Democratic response, which will be delivered this year by Georgia’s Stacey Abrams, a black woman.

3. It’s not on TV, so you have to opt in and actually seek it out.

The novices among you will read these facts and, naive to the core, think, “nothing to see here. Abrams is a great pick—certainly better than the lifeless Kennedy ghoul they trotted out last year—and the fact that Sanders is doing his usual response has nothing to do with her.” But the advanced scholars of bad faith attacks on Bernie Sanders will already see the grift: When the ultimate goal is always to put forth argument that Sanders is either sexist or racist, the appearance of Stacey Abrams is an invaluable chess piece in the propaganda war. Once you’ve recognized her political utility, the conclusion is easy: Bernie Sanders is being disrespectful to a black woman by upstaging her with his response to Trump’s state of the union.

You know what that means, folks: Another building block in the dual towers of racism and sexism.

Of course, Sanders tried to get ahead of it:

Stacey Abrams is a great choice to deliver the Democratic response. I'm very much looking forward to her speech.



For the third year in a row, following the Democratic rebuttal I'll be on Facebook Live, Twitter and YouTube to respond to Trump. https://t.co/4xOCjkNwtF — Bernie Sanders (@SenSanders) February 4, 2019

But he's a fool to think he can duck the bad faith hordes that easily. CONCERN TROLL ROLL CALL!

This is a bad move, especially assuming he's going to run. It only reinforces the idea that Bernie is not serious about representing the interests of the Democratic Party. It also reads as racially tone deaf, as Stacey Abrams becomes the first Black woman to deliver the response. https://t.co/l7PLxUo7BI — Marc Lamont Hill (@marclamonthill) February 5, 2019

Bernie Sanders should reconsider doing his own response tomorrow. Stacey Abrams, the first black woman to ever give a State of the Union rebuttal, deserves the spotlight. She's more than capable of mopping the floor with Trump without any help. — Adam Best (@adamcbest) February 5, 2019

Big mistake by Bernie Sanders in doing his own state of union response and in process stepping on official response by Stacey Abrams. — Matthew Dowd (@matthewjdowd) February 4, 2019

What? Why try to upstage @staceyabrams? Please get a clue @BernieSanders, assuming you're going to run for president. Or even if you're not! https://t.co/wgi0Djlejp — Joan Walsh (@joanwalsh) February 4, 2019

Bernie Sanders either doesn't realize or doesn't care about the symbolism of his redirecting attention from Stacey Abrams.



This is yet another example of his grandiosity and failure to care about the impact his actions have on women and people of color.



I am sooo done with him. — Leah McElrath (@leahmcelrath) February 4, 2019

Bernie, dude.

Read the fcking room, man. https://t.co/n30b6MRROd — Charles P. Pierce (@CharlesPPierce) February 4, 2019

Bernie Sanders, go fucking knit people.



Now you're trying to out shine STACEY ABRAMS who will be delivering the official State of the Union response to Bigot Trump.



This man is drenched in his privilege of being a white man thinking hes really the great white hope. https://t.co/FsKhm8QZ92 — Mr. Weeks (@MrDane1982) February 4, 2019

Even though Stacey Abrams, a strong, progressive, black woman is already delivery the Democratic response, Bernie Sanders just stated he is releasing his own response to Trump's State of the Union address. — Top Rope Travis (@TopRopeTravis) February 4, 2019

Some, like the Washington Post's Elizabeth Bruenig, thought she could use simple common sense against the crusaders. Good luck, Ms. Bruenig:

if you don't want to hear bernie's response just don't listen to it lol, i assume that's what people who don't like bernie have done the last two years he's responded to the SOTU on his own channels — Elizabeth Bruenig (@ebruenig) February 5, 2019

What if you like Bernie, but think that perhaps he might consider giving Stacey Abrams some respect? — Gregg Gonsalves (@gregggonsalves) February 5, 2019

he's speaking a f t e r she does on his own channels. there's literally no competition — Elizabeth Bruenig (@ebruenig) February 5, 2019

Do you think zero Democrats will tweet, speak, or issue press releases after the SOTU? Do you think anyone will value Abrams' response any less because other Democrats also responded? I know I won't. https://t.co/PV2Aqu6V3H — Elizabeth Bruenig (@ebruenig) February 5, 2019

It's less about that, I think, than Bernie's resilience as a progressive icon even though he fails to support female, black, or otherwise marginalized voices. It's a pattern that isn't pretty and comes across as racist when constantly repeated. — Loni Fancher (@pr3130girl) February 5, 2019

So Bernie boosting and appearing with AOC…? — Elizabeth Bruenig (@ebruenig) February 5, 2019

Is that what he's doing? Or is he placing himself in the same light that's falling on strong women who are rising on their own? — Loni Fancher (@pr3130girl) February 5, 2019

It appears there's nothing he can do that will register to you as emphasizing and supporting women — Elizabeth Bruenig (@ebruenig) February 5, 2019

Honestly? This one's on Bruenig. She's been around long enough to know that she should have known to skip the conversation part and just rip her own hair out immediately.

It's almost time to end this installment of “bad faith attacks on Bernie Sanders,” but first, it's worth highlighting once more the dynamic at play here:

In a Dem primary where black women's votes will be decisive, I don't see any political upside to slighting Stacey Abrams by giving a competing speech. — Charlotte Alter (@CharlotteAlter) February 4, 2019

This is gonna be how it is in 2019 and 2020. These creeps are just gonna lie and conjure up fake "scandals" and "gaffes" out of thin air until enough people start saying "hm, I thought I liked Bernie, but there's no smoke without fire!" https://t.co/ngwmZ1WggQ — The Discourse Lover (@Trillburne) February 5, 2019

Let’s conclude now with the invaluable and hopefully immortal words of Amber A’Lee Frost, which progressives should carry in their front pockets like a bible for the next two years:

And for the love of God, learn to exercise your scoffing muscles. Don’t get drawn into show-trial debates when someone is obviously merely attempting to defame, discredit, or otherwise malign the Sanders campaign. Yes, there are guileless and gentle souls who might voice concern about Sanders’ prospects, policies or appeal to women and minorities, and with those people we have conversations. Kindly, confidently and thoroughly we explain, over and over, again how Bernie Sanders is the best candidate for the working class — and we then spell out, with the same saintly patience, that this means all of the working class. But as for the liberal media, and for those who would disingenuously invoke identity politics to attack the socialist, just remember the magic words: “I know what you’re doing right now and it doesn’t work on me.” Remember, they’re trying to trip you up, wear you down, and waste your precious time. (Luckily, they’re utter clowns; elite whiners who pout that everyone is being too mean to them and to their favored milquetoast candidate.) The hit pieces against Bernie have already started to pour in, and we cannot concede a single inch to bad-faith liberals. Steel yourselves against the pseudo-progressive manipulation tactics and moral blackmail that put you on the back foot.