Bernie Sanders Says He's Less of a 'Socialist' on Tax Hikes Than This Republican President

Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders offered a bit of a zinger during Saturday's Democratic presidential debate — and his victim was former President Dwight D. Eisenhower.

When asked specifically how much he would raise taxes to pay for things like free public college tuition for all, Sanders said "we haven't come up with an exact number yet, but it will not be as high as the number under Dwight D. Eisenhower, which was 90 percent."

For a moment there were a few gasps and nervous giggles in the room, but then Sanders interjected: "I'm not that much of a socialist compared to Eisenhower."

With that he got laughs and a big round of applause, although the question about Sanders' tax hikes remained unanswered.

Sanders frequently has referred to himself as as a democratic socialist.

.@BernieSanders: "I'm not that much of a socialist compared to Eisenhower" https://t.co/2uyOmzwGht pic.twitter.com/daJg19PgIR

— POLITICO (@politico) November 15, 2015

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