Snopes.com found no record of Sanders saying those words. May be derived from a statement during an MSNBC town hall in April 2016:
• We are not a movement where I can snap my fingers and say to you or to anybody else what you should do, because you won't listen to me. You shouldn't. You'll make these decisions yourself.
• We are not a movement where I can snap my fingers and say to you or to anybody else what you should do, because you won't listen to me. You shouldn't. You'll make these decisions yourself.
“
I will never tell you how to vote. If I do, don't listen to me.
— Bernie Sanders
What It Means
This is a placeholder explanation generated by the low-overhead model. It interprets "I will never tell you how to vote. If I do, don't listen to me." in the context of "Snopes.com found no record of Sanders saying those words. May be derived from a statement during an MSNBC town hall in April 2016:
• We are not a movement where I can snap my fingers and say to you or to anybody else what you should do, because you won't listen to me. You shouldn't. You'll make these decisions yourself." to mean that wisdom is timeless.
Source: Wikiquote: "Bernie Sanders" (Misattributed)
The 'What it means' explanation text was generated by Google Gemini Flash (accessed January 18, 2026). https://gemini.google.com/app
About Bernie Sanders
Bernard Sanders (born September 8, 1941) is an American politician who has served as the junior United States Senator from Vermont since 2007. The U.S. Representative for the state's at-large congressional district from 1991 to 2007, he is the longest-serving independent in U.S. congressional history and a member of the Democratic caucus. Sanders ran unsuccessfully for the 2016 and 2020 Democratic nomination for president.
About Bernie Sanders
Bernard Sanders (born September 8, 1941) is an American politician who has served as the junior United States Senator from Vermont since 2007. The U.S. Representative for the state's at-large congressional district from 1991 to 2007, he is the longest-serving independent in U.S. congressional history and a member of the Democratic caucus. Sanders ran unsuccessfully for the 2016 and 2020 Democratic nomination for president.
View all quotes →