As U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders’ “Fighting Oligarchy Tour” captures attention and draws vast crowds, even in regions that predominantly supported Republican President Donald Trump, the democratic socialist released a video on Tuesday showcasing the groundswell of opposition to billionaire governance, including figures like President Trump and Elon Musk, the head of the Department of Government Efficiency.<\/p>\n
“When Donald Trump and Elon Musk see this crowd\u2014they take notice\u2014and you are absolutely terrifying them,” Sanders (I-Vt.) stated in the video, which was shared on social media platforms and featured scenes from the recent rally in Los Angeles that attracted approximately 36,000 participants.<\/p>\n
The “Fighting Oligarchy Tour,” which has seen Sanders joined by Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), has notably made waves at the Coachella music festival and attracted over 20,000 individuals in deeply conservative Utah\u2014a state Trump won in the 2024 election by over 20 percentage points\u2014and more than 12,000 in Nampa, Idaho, where Trump decisively defeated Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris by 36%.<\/p>\n
During the Idaho rally, security swiftly removed attendees who displayed a Palestinian flag. This incident prompted Sanders, who has faced criticism from both supporters of Palestine for his initial reluctance to support a cease-fire in Gaza during Israel’s aggressive action and from proponents of Israel for proposing legislation to halt U.S. arms sales to Israel, to assert that Israel “has the right to defend itself” but “does not have the right to engage in full-scale war against the Palestinian people.”<\/p>\n
Sanders also countered claims by Trump, who obsesses over crowd sizes, that the “Fighting Oligarchy” rallies were drawing merely “two, three thousand people,” by proclaiming at the Los Angeles rally: “He lied. There are people half a mile away!”<\/p>\n
The video’s narrator emphasized that the large turnouts at Sanders’ rallies are “infuriating” Musk, who, rather than acknowledging the genuine frustration of working-class people with billionaires like himself, has resorted to alleging that the crowds consist of paid protesters.<\/p>\n
Addressing these baseless accusations, Sanders invited the president to visit Los Angeles and explain directly to the attendees “why you think it’s a great idea to slash Medicaid and healthcare to provide tax breaks to billionaires.”<\/p>\n
“Musk and his elite friends view you merely as disposable labor,” Sanders continued. “They’ve terminated tens of thousands of federal employees. They couldn’t care less about you. And our response must be, ‘Sorry, we are human beings.'”<\/p>\n
“Because they realize, just as you and I do, that they represent the 1%, whereas we are the 99%,” Sanders remarked, echoing a central theme from his previous presidential campaigns. “They may control Congress, they may control the White House, but they do not control us!”<\/p>\n
“I won’t pretend this will be easy; it won’t,” he acknowledged. “We will have to battle them from one door to the next, from workplace to workplace, from school to school. We need to educate, mobilize, and stand up in countless ways.”<\/p>\n
“But I assure you, having visited every state in this nation, whether you identify as Republican, Democrat, or Independent, the people of this country are united in their rejection of oligarchy and authoritarianism, and in their demand for a government that serves all, not just a wealthy few,” Sanders added.<\/p>\n
The “Fighting Oligarchy Tour” proceeded with a rally in Bakersfield, California, followed by another event later in Folsom, California. Enthusiastic crowds packed the Dignity Health Arena in Bakersfield to see Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez, with supporters lining up early for the Folsom gathering. The tour is set to continue with a stop in Missoula, Montana.<\/p>\n
A recent report from Common Dreams<\/em> highlighted a poll by Harvard’s Center for American Political Studies and Harris, revealing that 72% of Democratic voters prefer politicians who advocate for a more confrontational approach towards Trump and his administration over those who seek compromise with his authoritarian agenda.<\/p>\n\n\n