Bernie Sanders Doppelgänger Seeks Humor Over Limelight

The white disheveled hair and glasses are two of the attributes that cause people on the streets to frequently stop Jeff Jones often mistaking him for Democratic candidate Bernie Sanders.

If I ever met [Bernie] Sanders in public I would say 'I am sorry that people say you look like me,' and I would hand him a shirt that says 'I Am Not Jeff.'
Jeff Jones, Bernie Sanders Doppelgänger

The 77-year-old, who is a retired musician living in Los Angeles, said he frequently appears at political rallies for Sanders to make people smile, but turns down requests to play Sanders as a character for entertainment gain.

"I don't do this as a diversion to Bernie's campaign. I do this as a way to lighten the atmosphere and make people laugh a little," Jones told NBCLA.

Bernie Sanders lookalike Jeff Jones wears his "I am not Bernie" sweater outside the candidate's campaign headquarters in Los Angeles, California on February 28, 2020. - Up until a few years ago, Jeff Jones was going about his life, minding his own business and enjoying his passion for music. Then Bernie Sanders burst onto the national political stage, prompting many to do double takes on seeing Jones, who bears a striking resemblance to the Democratic presidential candidate.

Jones' popularity in public continued to grow after he took the advice of his oldest daughter and designed a shirt that says 'I Am Not Bernie' on the front with a Sanders logo on the back.

The ironic shirt design gained popularity and is available for purchase on several websites.

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Jones said he does not make public appearances as often as he did in 2016. He most recently posed for pictures with excited Sanders fans at a rally on Feb. 21 in Santa Ana. Jones said he was amazed at the energy level of Sanders, who is only a year older than him, and his ability to captivate the crowd.

Jones was a registered Republican for most of his life, but switched to the Democratic party in 2016 so he could vote for Sanders.

Jeff Jones, 77, wearing his "I am not Bernie Sanders" sweater, attends a Bernie Sanders rally at a Santa Ana, California, high school on February 21, 2020. - Up until a few years ago, Jeff Jones was going about his life, minding his own business and enjoying his passion for music. Then Bernie Sanders burst onto the national political stage, prompting many to do double takes on seeing Jones, who bears a striking resemblance to the Democratic presidential candidate.

Fast forward four years later, and Jones is still fooling voters into thinking he is Sanders with his nearly identical physical attributes.

He voted for Sanders in the 2020 California primary and hopes to support him during the U.S. presidential election in November.

Musician Jeff Jones, a Republican and Bernie Sanders look-alike, switched parties so that he could vote for his doppelgänger. He also had T-shirts made up that say, “I’m not Bernie” and “I’m not Larry David.”

When asked what Jones would do if he met Sanders in person, his answer was clear.

"If I ever met Sanders in public I would say 'I am sorry that people say you look like me,' and I would hand him a shirt that says 'I Am Not Jeff.'"