Actress and activist Susan Sarandon has hit back at Democratic presidential hopeful Pete Buttigieg for claiming that front-runner Bernie Sanders could jeapordise down-ballot candidates in November - and backed the ouster of Nancy Pelosi.

He wrote on Twitter: “Senator Sanders is ignoring, dismissing, or even attacking the very Democrats we absolutely must send to Capitol Hill in order to keep Nancy Pelosi as Speaker, in order to support judges who respect privacy and democracy, and in order to send Mitch McConnell into retirement.”

But Sarandon hit back - and backed the ouster of Ms Pelosi.

She wrote on Twitter: "We’re not looking to keep Pelosi because there’s a progressive running against her who supports Medicare for All and the Green New Deal among other things.”

It was accompanied by a link to the website of democratic socialist Shahid Buttar, who has launched a primary challenge against Ms Pelosi for her House seat.

Mr Buttigieg took aim at Mr Sanders after the self-described democratic socialist secured an overwhelming victory in Nevada on Saturday night.