Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), a progressive stalwart and former presidential candidate, doesn’t think it’s “good enough” for Democrats to just hammer President Trump over his sweeping policy changes or authoritarian image as they push back on the GOP leader’s second term.
“I think Democrats are trying. But what Trump has capitalized on is a simple reality that is true — and that is our system is broken,” Sanders, 83, said in a new interview with the New York Times. “There are a number of people in the House, the Senate and elsewhere who are doing a really good job. But I think the point is, it’s not good enough to attack Trump’s policies of tax breaks for the rich and cuts to Medicaid and other desperately needed programs. It’s not good enough to attack his authoritarianism.
“I certainly do not hear enough discussion on the point that the system is, in fact, broken and needs fundamental changes, not just patching it up,” he added.
Sanders took aim at the nation’s current political climate and involvement from billionaire tech entrepreneur Elon Musk, a key Trump ally and donor that the president has appointed to a top White House adviser role.
“Taking on people with unbelievable wealth, in a corrupt political system where people like Elon Musk and others will threaten any Republican or any Democrat who fights for working people, with massive amounts of money in a primary, is difficult,” Sanders said. “When you have a corrupt political system that allows Musk and other multibillionaires in both political parties to contribute huge amounts of money, the system is broken, period.”
Trump has faced strong rebuke from Democrats during his first month in office over federal worker layoffs, cuts to programs like USAID and tensions with world leaders over foreign policy in the Russia-Ukraine war and conflict in Gaza.
Sanders also said he thinks Democrats struggle to court working-class voters, and that contributed to the party’s loss in the 2024 election.
“I think Democrats have got to understand that we can’t — they can’t — protect the status quo, but have got to deal with the reality that it’s a broken system,” he said. “We’ve got to begin in an aggressive way in addressing the needs of the working class, which is really struggling.”
Sanders tempered criticism of his left-leaning colleagues with faint praise but wouldn’t name anyone when asked who stands out to him.
“I don’t want to get into personalities,” he said. “There are a number of people in the House, the Senate and elsewhere who are doing a really good job.”
Sanders unsuccessfully sought the Democratic presidential nominations in 2016 and 2020. He dismissed speculation that he will make another run for the White House when pressed by the Times.
“I am 83 years old. I do not think I’m going to be running for president,” he said. “Right now, to my mind, the most important thing that those of us who are in opposition to Trump’s tax breaks for the rich and cuts to Medicaid in education — the best thing that we could do is to win over at least two Republicans who are going to go back in their districts and say: ‘You know what? I’m not voting to give huge tax breaks to the rich and cut desperately needed health care programs.’”
Sanders, who remains wildly popular politically in his home state, began his fourth and likely final term in the Senate this year. He has been spending time recently outside Vermont, including trips to Omaha, Neb., and Iowa City, Iowa, this weekend, on behalf of Democrat.
“There are about 15 House districts in America where Republicans won with very slim margins,” he said. “I and others will be traveling to those communities in order to make sure that the people in those districts understand what is at stake and do what they can to make sure that their congresspeople respond to the needs of the working class of this country.”
