‘Americans Are Not Going to Sit Back’: Sanders Talks His Massive Rallies With AOC
Senator and congresswoman speak to crowds of more than 30,000
Two of the nation’s most-outspoken progressives in Congress spent the last several days swinging through several western states, rallying crowds that at times exceeded 30,000 against Donald Trump and his billionaire advisor, Elon Musk.
Sen Bernie Sanders (I-Vt) and Rep Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) barnstormed cities including Tucson and Tempe in Arizona, and Greeley and Denver in Colorado.
Called the “Fighting Oligarchy” tour, the lawmakers are delivering a message that Americans should not be complacent or dispirited in opposition to the wholesale dismantling of the federal government being presided over by Trump and Musk.
The pair spoke to some 34,000 attendees in Denver, which Sanders called the largest political rally in the Mile High City since 2008.
Sanders, who twice ran for president, was asked by a TV journalist why he and Ocasio-Cortez had launched their tour.
“First of all, coming here and showing the world that Americans are not going to sit back and take what Trump is doing, is a good step forward,” Sanders said. “But obviously what we need to do is what neither political party is capable of doing right now.
“And that is develop a strong grassroots movement prepared to run candidates, prepare to stand up and question candidates, demand responsibility from their elected officials to stand with working families and not just the 1 percent,” he added.
The interviewer, Jonathan Karl, of ABC News, noted that Sanders has long railed against consolidation of political power in the hands of billionaires and the ultra-wealthy.
“Hey, guess what, it turns out a few other people are catching on to that, right? I have been talking for many years about this country moving toward an oligarchy,” the senator acknowledged. “I think anybody who is not dumb, deaf or blind is seeing precisely what is happening. Trump’s inaugural right behind him, three wealthiest guys in America. [President Abraham] Lincoln talked about a government of the people, by the people, for the people, remember? We have a government of the billionaire class.”
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