Comedian Sarah Silverman (shown above right) recently interviewed Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) for her comedy show on Hulu, “I Love You, America.”

And the senator, a former candidate for the Democratic nomination for the presidency, informed her that, in American politics, “We can’t even use dirty words. This is the United States Senate. We just starve little children. We go bomb houses and buses of children. And we give tax breaks to billionaires, but we don’t use dirty words.”

He may have been joking — maybe — but his words have landed with a thud.

Silverman, who jokingly referred to the 77-year-old Bernie Sanders as “the voice of the millennial generation,” has known Sanders for a while, as Think Nations reported; during the segment she said she’d done her laundry at his house in Burlington, Vermont, and has also gone sledding with his family.

Sanders’ comment has drawn criticism as extremely inappropriate — and also inaccurate.

The Washington Post’s Philip Bump said that even though Sanders was obviously joking, he has a large platform — and it appears that these controversial positions are ones he actually holds, reported USA Today.

Bump also said, “Those sorts of jokes are going to land a lot differently now than they would have three years ago, simply by virtue of his heightened position.”

“Joking or not, it’s these kinds of statements that I think are damaging to the Democratic Party and people point to [them] and say, ‘This is why we don’t believe the Democrats are supportive of America. It’s an easy sound bite to point to,” said Capri Cafaro, who served as a Democratic senator in Ohio.

Sanders also discussed socialism and several other topics throughout the interview.

Who do you think would win the Presidency?

By completing the poll, you agree to receive emails from LifeZette, occasional offers from our partners and that you've read and agree to our privacy policy and legal statement.

The Granite State politician is no stranger to provocative statements.

Just this past Labor Day, he said the president “works night and day on behalf of his fellow billionaires,” adding, “We have a president for cheap political reasons who is trying to divide us up,” as many outlets, including The Hill, reported.

Sanders took aim squarely at President Donald Trump during the appearance at the AFL-CIO’s annual Labor Day breakfast in Manchester, New Hampshire.

He also said Trump has been teaching people to “hate other people because they may have been born in a different country.”

He declared, “We have a president, and I say this with no joy in my heart, who is a pathological liar.”

He also said Trump has been teaching people to “hate other people because they may have been born in a different country, [the] color of their skin is different, their religion is different, their sexual orientation may be different.”

Sanders has a new book out this November, “Where We Go from Here: Two Years in the Resistance.” A blurb for the book says this: “In his new book, America’s most popular political figure speaks about what he’s been doing to oppose the Trump agenda and strengthen the progressive movement and how we go forward as a nation.”

Watch the video below for more on Sanders: