Sen. Bernie Sanders on 'fighting oligarchy' and rebuilding the Democratic Party

Sen. Bernie Sanders says Democrats are paying a political price for not paying attention to the working class.

Sanders, an Independent from Vermont who caucuses with Democrats, has been touring the country with Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York to push back against the Trump administration's agenda.

Sanders said Democrats need to run candidates who can channel the anger of voters who are worried about recent moves by President Trump.

“I think support for this right-wing agenda, which is not only about authoritarianism and oligarchy, it is about a proposal which will give over, if passed, over $1 trillion in tax breaks to the top 1% and allow for massive cuts to Medicaid, nutrition, housing and other programs,” Sanders said. “If you poll that, I would guess that 80-90% of the American people think that that is totally insane. So, I think in fact in many ways the Trump administration is now on the defensive with their tariff policies, which are going to raise prices. Now what we need are candidates and a political movement which stands clearly with the working class of this country.”

Your Fighting Oligarchy Tour is drawing huge crowds, and yet polls show the Democratic Party with historically low approval ratings. What's the disconnect?

"Well, I think that there are significant numbers of people in this country who are absolutely disgusted and appalled by what's happening. They're very frightened about this rapid move to authoritarianism is something that we have never really seen in the modern history of this country. They are prepared to come out, and what has really excited me is we've brought out over a quarter of a million people, and I think the result of that is you're going to see people standing up fighting back in a way that we have not seen previously."

What do you say to Democrats who say the Democratic Party has moved too far to the left and needs to listen to voters?

"Well, of course, the party needs to listen more. There's a lot to be proud of. They have led the way in the right for women to control their own body, something which is under attack right now; led the way for gay rights; led the way to fight against bigotry in general, civil rights.

"But I'll tell you what Democrats should not be proud of: And that is in the richest country in the history of the world, 60% of the American people are living paycheck-to-paycheck. In America today, one guy, Elon Musk, owns more wealth than the bottom 53% of American households.

"We're the only major country on Earth that doesn't guarantee health care to all people despite spending twice as much as most countries. Sixty thousand people a year die because they don't get to a doctor on time. In other words, what the Democratic Party has not done is paid attention to the working class, and they paid a political price for that."

Why haven't Republicans paid a price for the policies of Elon Musk and others in the administration?

"I think they are paying. I think support for this right-wing agenda, which is not only about authoritarianism and oligarchy, it is about a proposal which will give over, if passed, over $1 trillion in tax breaks to the top 1% and allow for massive cuts to Medicaid, nutrition, housing and other programs.

"If you poll that, I would guess that 80-90% of the American people think that that is totally insane. So I think, in fact, in many ways the Trump administration is now on the defensive with their tariff policies, which are going to raise prices. Now what we need are candidates and a political movement which stands clearly with the working class of this country. "

How do you reach out to people who may like your message but aren't seeing your rallies, especially those who have been cut off by a cleaving of the media?

"Well, one of the ways you do that is you actually go out and talk to people, so we have had 17 public meetings, over a quarter of a million people have come out in 11 states. That's number one.

"Number two, you raise a very important point, and that is media. We have to reach out to people who are not necessarily deeply involved in politics, but I think the primary issue of the moment is the class issue, the fact that you have so few people owning so much wealth and so many people who are living paycheck to paycheck.

"Democrats have talked a good game, but you tell me, how many establishment Democrats make the point that we're the only major country on Earth not to guarantee health care to all people?"

This interview was edited for clarity. 

Lynn Menegon produced and edited this interview for broadcast with Catherine Welch. Michael Scotto adapted it for the web.