The Democratic National Committee is “dead wrong” by limiting the number of debates available to presidential candidates, Sen. Bernie Sanders Bernie SandersJacobin editor: Primarying Schumer would force him to fight Trump's SCOTUS nominee Trump campaign plays up Biden's skills ahead of Cleveland debate: 'He's actually quite good' Young voters backing Biden by 2:1 margin: poll MORE (I-Vt.) said on Sunday.

ADVERTISEMENT

“I think that that is dead wrong and I have let the leadership of the Democrats know that,” Sanders, who is running for the Democratic presidential nomination, said on CNN’s “State of the Union.

“I think this country benefits, all people benefit, democracy benefits, when we have debates, and I want to see more of them,” he added. “I think that debates are a good thing."

Sanders said that in addition to officially sanctioned debates from the Democratic Party, candidates running for the White House should also be forced to debate environmental issues before a panel of environmentalists, as well as issues specifically important to young voters and to “working people.”

Sanders’s comments come after critical words from former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley (D), who on Friday accused the DNC of creating a “rigged process” to limit the number of debates to just four before the first round of voting takes place.

“I think it’s a big mistake for us as a party to circle the wagons around the inevitable front-runner,” O’Malley, who is also running for president, said earlier in the week.

Sanders appeared to agree on CNN on Sunday

“I think that rigging is a strong word,” he said. However, “I would like to see more debates.”