Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., said his “Fighting Oligarchy” tour is an attempt to stand up to President Donald Trump’s agenda.
“I’m trying to make it clear to the people throughout the world and throughout our own country, that the American people are not going to sit idly by and allow Trump [to] establish an oligarchic form of government where Musk and other billionaires are running our government,” Sanders said in an exclusive interview with “This Week” co-anchor Jonathan Karl during the tour’s Denver stop.
“We’re not going to sit back and allow him to form an authoritarian form of society, undermining the Constitution, freedom of speech, freedom of assembly and undoing what the, you know, what the Founding Fathers of this country did in the 1790s, separation of powers, making sure that no one person had an extraordinary amount of power, and that is precisely what Trump is trying to do,” he added.
Sanders’ “Fighting Oligarchy” tour, which he is conducting alongside Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., is making stops in both right- and left-leaning districts. The rallies have attracted thousands of people, but the Denver appearance brought in the largest crowds so far, with 32,000 attendees. Sanders said it was the largest rally he’s ever hosted — bigger than the rallies on his two presidential runs.
Here are additional highlights from Sanders’ interview:
On the government becoming an oligarchy
Sanders has warned for years of the dangers of billionaires having influence in the government. Asked if those dangers have changed, Sanders replied, “I think anybody who is not dumb, deaf or blind is seeing precisely what is happening — Trump’s inaugural, right behind them three wealthiest guys in America. You know, Lincoln talked about a government of the people, by the people, for the people, remember? Well, we got a government of the billionaire class, by the billionaire class and for the billionaire class.”
On the Democratic response to Trump
Karl: So we’re about 60 days into the Trump era, the second Trump era. How would you grade the Democratic Party’s response?
Sanders: “Well, I would take us back even two years before that, before Trump was elected, and saying that it saddens me that when the Democrats had control of the Senate, they did virtually nothing for working people. I have to say that I’m a member of the Democratic Caucus as an independent, so I’m not going to lie to you and tell you otherwise. Since then, do I think the Democrats have been effective in rallying the American people in stopping Trump’s movement toward oligarchy and authoritarianism? No, I don’t.”
Bernie Sanders sits down for an interview with ABC News’ “This Week” Co-anchor Jonathan Karl in Denver.
ABC News
On how Democrats can slow the Republican agenda
Karl: So, realistically, Republicans control the House. They control the White House. They control the Senate. So what, realistically, can be done?
Sanders: Well, for major pieces of legislation, you still need 60 votes in the Senate. And let’s be clear, and we — we have picked many of the spots that I’ve gone to in Wisconsin, in Iowa, in Michigan, have — we — we chose them carefully. Those [districts] have Republican congressmen who won by small margins. Right now, I don’t know what the number is. I think if two or three Republicans out of 200 and whatever it is, 18 or whatever they got, choose not to support giving tax breaks to billionaires and cutting Medicaid and education, we can defeat this big supplemental bill, the beautiful bill that Trump wants to see passed.”
On critiquing the Democratic Party
Karl: You said that the passage of this bill, the continuing resolution, was a, “absolute failure of Democratic leadership.” Who are you talking about?
Sanders: Well, [Sen. Chuck] Schumer is the leader of the party, and it should not have happened, period. No question about it … But the bottom line, it’s not just Chuck Schumer. It’s not just Chuck Schumer. It is, you’ve got a Democratic Party in general that is dominated by billionaires, just as the Republican Party is, that … operates under the leadership of a bunch of inside-the-Beltway consultants, very well paid, who are way out of touch with the 32,000 people who are here today.”
On Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
As Karl started to ask about Ocasio-Cortez being the future of the Progressive Caucus, Sanders jumped in, saying, “We have one of the untold stories… of what’s going on in current American politics, is that in the House of Representatives, you have dozens and dozens of strong, smart, disciplined, hard-working young people in the Progressive Caucus. And, you know, way back when, when I first came to the Congress in the House, I helped form the Progressive Caucus. We had five people in it at that time. Now, they got close to 100, so you got a whole lot of good people. Alexandria is extraordinary. I am so impressed by her work in Congress and her, just, she inspires young people all over the country.”
Source: abc news
