Sanders Blasts Big Money, Consultants Controlling Democrats After Trump Defeat

Just before Vice President Kamala Harris gave her concession speech on Wednesday, Senator Bernie Sanders delivered a pointed critique of the Democratic Party’s leadership, blaming them for the loss of the White House and at least one chamber of Congress to the Republicans.

“The fact that the Democratic Party has turned its back on the working class should hardly be shocking when you see the working class turning its back on the Democratic Party,” stated Sanders (I-Vt.). “Initially, it was the white working class, and now it includes Latino and Black workers too.”

“While the Democratic leadership upholds the status quo, the American populace is frustrated and demands change,” remarked Sanders, who was re-elected in a decisive victory on Tuesday as the GOP took control of the Senate. “And they are justified in feeling that way.”

Having campaigned for the Democratic presidential nomination in both 2016 and 2020, Sanders spent this election cycle supporting Harris, cautioning against the return of Republican Donald Trump, criticizing the influence of billionaires in U.S. politics, and advocating for policies that better support working-class Americans.

“Will the big money interests and high-paid consultants who dominate the Democratic Party draw any significant conclusions from this failed campaign? …Probably not.”

In his latest statement, Sanders emphasized issues like income and wealth disparity in the U.S., worker concerns about artificial intelligence, and the federal government’s neglect in providing paid leave and universal healthcare, all while investing billions into the conflict in Gaza.

“Do the big money interests and high-paid consultants who run the Democratic Party grasp the pain and political alienation felt by tens of millions of Americans? Do they have any plan to counter the growing power of the oligarchy that wields so much economic and political influence?” he questioned. “Probably not.”

“In the weeks and months ahead, those of us who care about grassroots democracy and economic justice must engage in some very serious political discussions,” Sanders concluded. “Stay tuned.”

Progressives, responding to Trump’s win in both the Electoral College and the popular vote by denouncing the billionaires supporting him and vowing “unprecedented resistance” during his second term, echoed Sanders’ sentiments.

Sharing Sanders’ statement on X—the social media platform owned by billionaire Trump supporter Elon Musk—United Auto Workers (UAW) communications director Jonah Furman remarked: “The mission has been clear for a decade. The only question is when we will act on it.”

Separately, UAW president Shawn Fain expressed on Wednesday that “UAW members across the nation went to work today facing the same threats as yesterday: uncontrolled corporate greed that’s wrecking our lives, families, and communities.”

“We’ve maintained all along that regardless of who occupies the White House, our struggle remains unchanged,” Fain continued, highlighting the fight against “flawed trade policies” like the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement and battles for fair union jobs, secure retirements, livable wages, affordable healthcare, and family time.

“It’s time for Washington, D.C. to either deliver or step aside, regardless of the party or candidate,” added Fain, whose union endorsed Harris. “Will our government support the working class, or continue to cater to billionaires? That’s our current dilemma, and it will be our challenge tomorrow. The solution depends on us, no matter who is in charge.”

“Will our government support the working class, or continue to cater to billionaires?”

In a post-election column, Chuck Idelson, former senior communications strategist for National Nurses United, argued that in the wake of Donald Trump’s return to ‘absolute power,’ sanctioned by the Supreme Court, there are specific issues that merit further exploration.”

“In Missouri, a state Trump secured by 58%, voters also decided to raise the state’s minimum wage to $15 per hour and mandated employers to provide paid sick leave,” he noted. “Similarly, in Nebraska, another state that went to Trump, voters passed a paid sick leave initiative, Initiative 436, by 75%.”

Alongside these ballot measures, Idelson pointed out a standout statistic from the multitude of exit polls—94% of registered Republicans voted for Trump, the same percentage as in 2020. The intense focus on swaying Republican voters away from Trump proved to be a fantasy. Once again, the old adage ‘it’s the economy, stupid,’ proved true.”

Harris’ campaign, he argued, “mirrored the direction the Democratic Party leadership has taken since the introduction of neoliberal policies in the 1970s, executed by most Democratic presidents since.”

Historian Harvey J. Kaye, professor emeritus at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, criticized the Democratic Party on social media Wednesday for its failures to challenge billionaires, increase the minimum wage, and pass the Richard L. Trumka Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act.

Morris Pearl, chair of the Patriotic Millionaires and a former managing director at BlackRock, stated on Wednesday that “an openly authoritarian figure successfully leveraged the economic frustrations of millions to win what may be the most consequential election in our nation’s history. The Democratic establishment has only itself to blame.”

“Voters demanded a complete overhaul of a rigged economic system. When neoliberal Democrats hesitated, Donald Trump offered to reset the board, and voters chose the unknown over the status quo,” Pearl added. “The only remaining question is, why are Democrats surprised? This outcome is the entirely predictable result of a decades-long strategy to appease the wealthy, which faced no real opposition.”

The Sunrise Movement—a youth-led climate advocacy group that aimed to mobilize millions of young voters in swing states to defeat Trump—also emphasized on social media Wednesday that “last night’s results call for change. Millions are exasperated after enduring decades of a rigged economy and a corrupt political system. They are looking for someone to blame. It’s imperative that the Democratic Party takes this seriously.”

“For decades, Democrats have prioritized corporations over people. This is the consequence. Every working American feels the crisis. We can’t afford rent. Our government fails to pass basic legislation. Even the WEATHER has turned against us. And yet, Dems tell us it’s all fine,” the group continued. “Trump may favor corporations even more than Democrats, but he ran an anti-establishment campaign that responded to people’s need for change.”

“We can stop him, and we must,” the Sunrise Movement declared. “But it will require thousands to take to the streets and prepare to strike. And it will require mass movements to present a better vision for our country than Trumpism and prove that we can achieve it.”