5 takeaways from Bernie Sanders' Fox News town hall

Bernie Sanders turned in a scrappy, energized performance on the Fox News town hall Monday night, using the conservative cable news network's stage to deliver his progressive populist message.

Sanders sparred with the moderators, Fox anchors Bret Baier and Martha MacCallum, sometimes with humor, on a media platform he has called "right wing propaganda" and winning cheers from the audience.

Sanders, the independent senator for Vermont seeking the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination, took the Fox News stage 30 minutes after he released 10 years of tax returns.

More: Bernie Sanders releases 10 years of long-anticipated taxes

Here are five takeaways from the Fox News town hall:

1) Fox audience seems OK with Bernie Sanders the millionaire

The top of the town hall was dominated by questions having to do with Sanders' tax returns.

That candidate who targets "the top 1 percent" is a member of that class may seem like a contradiction, his supporters in the audience seemed to have no problems with it.

The first question of the night came from Joe Baswari, a student from Allentown, Pennsylvania, who pointed out that the tax returns showed Sanders to be a millionaire.

Sanders answered, "That money in my case and my wife’s case came from a book that I wrote, pretty good book, you might want to read it, it’s a bestseller, sold all over the world, we made money. So if anyone thinks that I should apologize for writing a best-selling book, I’m sorry, I’m not going to do it."

Sanders's answer was met by cheers and applause from the audience.

2) Bernie Sanders will keep his benefits from the Trump tax cut

Baswari also asked, "Will you pay your fair share and how do you plan to apply the policy you have been talking about enforcing on top earners?"

Sanders responded with his critique of the "absurd tax system."

He went on add a jab at his hosts, "I guess on Fox News you said I benefited from tax bill, well did you tell people I voted against Trump’s tax bill?"

When pressed by Baier that he still benefited from the lower tax rate, Sanders replied, "I pay the taxes that I owe. And by the way, why don’t you get Donald Trump up here and ask him how much he pays in taxes."

MacCallum answered, "We would love to ask him that question and we absolutely will."

Sanders declined to pay more than what he owed in taxes.

3) Bernie Sanders warns about focusing too much on Trump, but directly addressed the president, twice

Sanders warned Democrats about fixating on the president, but he didn't necessarily follow his own advice.

"I think Trump is a dangerous president, but if all we do is focus on him, we lose," he said. "Our job is to develop an agenda that speaks to the needs of workers and if we do that we’re going to win and win big."

Despite his own warning, Sanders repeated mentioned Trump and his policies in his answers, and he took the opportunity to directly address the president at least two times during the town hall.

In wrapping an exchange over how much he paid n taxes, Sanders said, "The president watches your network a little bit, right? he said. "Hey, President Trump, my wife and I just released 10 years. Please do the same."

He also called on Trump to sign the congressional resolution calling for an end to the U.S. support for the war in Yemen, led by Saudi Arabia, a strong ally of the president.

Sanders faced the camera and said, "Mr. President, tonight you have the opportunity to do something extraordinary. Sign that resolution."

4) Bernie Sanders mixes it up with Fox anchors

Sanders turned questions asked by the moderators back on them.

Asked why he didn't give the government the difference between what he paid in taxes under Trump — 26 percent — and his own top marginal tax rate of 52 percent, Sanders shot back to MacCallum, "Martha, why don't you give? You make more money than I do."

MacCallum answered, "I didn't suggest a wealth tax."

Baier chimed in, "And she's not running for president."

Sanders was asked by an audience member, "How can you challenge the idea that socialism is bad in the minds of the public?"

His answer: "You might ask them, not me," gesturing to the moderators.

That set off the following exchange:

Baier: "Is this going to be a thing?"

Sanders: "No, it will not. You ask me fair questions, I will give you fair answers."

Baier: "Thank you, sir."

Sanders ended the exchange with, "Your network does not necessarily have a great deal of respect in my world, but I thought it was important for me to be here and have a serious discussion about serious issues."

5) Bernie Sanders calls for unity and turns Fox stage into his call-response pulpit

Sanders used his closing statement to call for unity.

"I think sometimes the division in the country gets a little to hot. At the end of the day, we are all Americans who love this country," he said, adding, "we have a lot more in common than most people think we do."

Then the senator launched into a series of rhetorical questions that highlighted his platform. On the way, the democratic socialist turned the Fox stage into his campaign pulpit.

"Should we raise the minimum wage to a living wage?" he asked. A few people joined him as he answered "Yes."

On each question that followed, on infrastructure, veterans' health care, on protecting Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, and tax cuts for the wealthy, Sanders let the audience call back the answers.

He closed with a call for Americans to be more engaged.

"I want to see our country have the highest voter turnout in the industrialized world, not one of the lowest," he said. "So, no matter what your views are, get involved in the political process, stand up and fight to make this a better country."

Aki Soga is insights and engagement editor for the Burlington Free Press. Email him at asoga@freepressmedia.com, or chat with him on Twitter: @asoga.

This article originally appeared on Burlington Free Press: 5 takeaways from Bernie Sanders' Fox News town hall