Bernie Sanders Calls Donald Trump's Policy Proposal to Ban Muslims 'Crap'

Bernie Sanders appears on "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon."

ByABC News
December 8, 2015, 8:04 PM

— -- Sen. Bernie Sanders isn't one to mince words, and that certainly held true for his first public comments about a fellow presidential hopeful.

The Democratic presidential candidate appeared on an episode of "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon" airing tonight and Fallon jumped right into the topic of the man once again dominating the headlines today: Donald Trump.

“What are your comments or what is your take on what he is doing?” Fallon asked.

In his first on-camera comments about Trump’s controversial comments on banning Muslims from entering the United States, Sanders very passionately argued that Donald Trump is trying to divide Americans of various backgrounds.

“A few months ago we were supposed to hate Mexicans, and he thinks they are all criminals and rapists,” mocked Sanders. “And now we are supposed to hate Muslims, and that kind of crap is not going to work in the United States of America.”

Sanders continued, “I think what the American people understand given the problems that we face, we've got to stand together, come together and create decent money for all of our people and stop this scapegoating of one group or another.”

Fallon then asked Sanders whether he was more focused on beating Democratic frontrunner Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump. But Sanders confidently stated that he feels he will overcome Clinton’s popularity among Democratic voters and earn the party's nomination.

“I look forward to beating Donald Trump,” Sanders said of the general election. “I will enjoy that race very, very much. But first we’ve got to get past Secretary Clinton, and I think we will do that as well.”