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Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders calls a report that he told fellow Democrat Elizabeth Warren that a woman cannot be elected president "ludicrous."

CNN reported Monday that Sanders allegedly made the remark during a meeting with Warren in 2018 when they were talking about their plans to run for president.

According to CNN, Warren told Sanders she will "make a robust argument about the economy and earn broad support from female voters."

Sanders allegedly replied that he did not think a woman could be elected.

"It is sad that three weeks before the Iowa Caucus and a year after that private conversation, staff who weren't in the room are lying about what happened," Sanders responded in a statement to CNN.

"Do I believe a woman can win in 2020? Of course. After all, Hillary Clinton beat Donald Trump by 3 million votes in 2016," Sanders said.

CNN said its sources for the report were two people who talked with Warren right after the meeting with Sanders and two others CNN said "were familiar with the meeting."

Warren herself has not commented on the story.

The latest poll in Iowa by CNN and The Des Moines Register newspaper puts Sanders in the lead among likely caucus participants with 20%, followed by Warren with 19%. Pete Buttigieg and Joe Biden trail.

Sanders and Warren did share common ground Monday -- both thanked Democratic Senator Cory Booker for running a campaign both said was based on love, justice, and equality.

Booker announced Monday he was dropping out of the 2020 presidential race.