US senator and former presidential candidate Bernie Sanders has paid his respects to legendary TV and radio anchor Ed Schultz, who passed away on July 5 at the age of 64.

Sanders, an independent senator from Vermont and an outspoken critic of the rule of the rich, is one of the many high-profile guests Ed Schultz interviewed on his programs. During the 2016 presidential race, he sat down for several exclusive chats with Ed.

READ MORE: Remembering Ed Schultz: RT America anchor’s greatest stories (VIDEO)

In a heartfelt Facebook post, Senator Sanders praised Ed for being "a passionate defender of American workers," who "strongly supported trade policies that work for all of us not just large corporations." Sanders says he saw Schultz as a friend and a fellow voice against corporate greed.

Ed Schultz was a passionate defender of American workers and strongly supported trade policies that work for all, not just large corporations. For many years his voice has been strong, steady & against forces of corporate greed. Ed was a friend of mine and will be sorely missed. — Bernie Sanders (@SenSanders) July 5, 2018

Ed Schultz was a veteran anchor, a sports and political commentator and a strong American media personality on both the local and national level. After a career on radio and several years as one of MSNBC's most watched anchors, he moved to RT. 'The News with Ed Schultz' was the flagship show at RT America.

During his tenure at RT, Ed covered a number of resounding news events, including the Brexit referendum in the UK and the controversial 2016 presidential election in the US. Throughout Washington's crackdown on the channel, he vowed to stay strong and "speak the truth no matter what."