Bernie Sanders

Well, look, I think the evidence is pretty clear. When you have a president get inaugurated and standing behind him, sitting behind him, with the three wealthiest people in the country, Mr. Musk, Mr. Bezos, Mr. Zuckerberg, and then sitting scattered throughout the stage, 13 other billionaires who Trump nominated to head major agencies, Secretary of Treasury, etc.,

You tell me what you would call it. This is, I find it hard not to describe it as a government of the billionaires. And that is what Alakaki is about.

You tell me what you would call it. This is, I find it hard not to describe it as a government of the billionaires. And that is what Alakaki is about.

Look, these are the scariest times in my lifetime, that's all. I mean, I think that's objectively the truth. It is not just they want to give tax breaks to billionaires and cut programs for working people. Frankly, that's happened before. But you combine that with the power of the oligarchy in general,

Look, these are the scariest times in my lifetime, that's all. I mean, I think that's objectively the truth. It is not just they want to give tax breaks to billionaires and cut programs for working people. Frankly, that's happened before. But you combine that with the power of the oligarchy in general,

You combine that with Mr. Musk owning Twitter and able to send out his messages to hundreds of millions of people, You combine that with the fact that people like Bezos, the second wealthiest person in the country, fired or got rid of most of his editorial staff and is going to convert them into a right-wing thing.

You combine that with Mr. Musk owning Twitter and able to send out his messages to hundreds of millions of people, You combine that with the fact that people like Bezos, the second wealthiest person in the country, fired or got rid of most of his editorial staff and is going to convert them into a right-wing thing.

Combine that with the fact that Trump is suing major media outlets and is threatening to investigate PBS and NPR. So it's not only the power of money, it's also combined with that, the movement toward authoritarianism. You know, when Trump... unilaterally cuts federal funding that was passed by Congress, that is illegal, that is unconstitutional.

Combine that with the fact that Trump is suing major media outlets and is threatening to investigate PBS and NPR. So it's not only the power of money, it's also combined with that, the movement toward authoritarianism. You know, when Trump... unilaterally cuts federal funding that was passed by Congress, that is illegal, that is unconstitutional.

When you have the vice president saying, well, in his judgment, the courts don't have the right to stop unconstitutional acts of the president, man, that is authoritarian. That's what the courts are. He is now trying to end what the founding fathers were pretty smart about, creating a form of government where there were checks and balances, a legislative body, an executive body, and a judiciary.

When you have the vice president saying, well, in his judgment, the courts don't have the right to stop unconstitutional acts of the president, man, that is authoritarian. That's what the courts are. He is now trying to end what the founding fathers were pretty smart about, creating a form of government where there were checks and balances, a legislative body, an executive body, and a judiciary.

So he's moving aggressively in all of these areas. Yeah, there was gravity in my voice. This is a scary moment.

So he's moving aggressively in all of these areas. Yeah, there was gravity in my voice. This is a scary moment.

Well, I think, and this is what I believe, maybe I'm wrong, but it is what I have always believed. And I am a politician, you know. And when people stand up and talk, when your phone line bangs off the hook, When you see rallies, if I'm the congressman from this district and I see 9,000 people coming out who really do not want tax breaks for billionaires and cuts in Medicaid, you know what?

Well, I think, and this is what I believe, maybe I'm wrong, but it is what I have always believed. And I am a politician, you know. And when people stand up and talk, when your phone line bangs off the hook, When you see rallies, if I'm the congressman from this district and I see 9,000 people coming out who really do not want tax breaks for billionaires and cuts in Medicaid, you know what?

I'm gonna think twice about it. So I think what Trump and Musk hope is they can create a sense of powerlessness in people. Hey, what do you think? I got all the money, I got all the power, I own the media, I can buy elections. What do you think you can do? You can't fund me. And if people believe that, we're gonna lose.

I'm gonna think twice about it. So I think what Trump and Musk hope is they can create a sense of powerlessness in people. Hey, what do you think? I got all the money, I got all the power, I own the media, I can buy elections. What do you think you can do? You can't fund me. And if people believe that, we're gonna lose.

But if people understand that when they stand up and fight back, and that's why at the end of these remarks, I talked about the history of this country. This is not the first time. You know, I think back, a slightly different thing, you know, in December of 1941, 1941, the United States was attacked at Pearl Harbor. You know what? We have to fight a war on two fronts. Complete.

But if people understand that when they stand up and fight back, and that's why at the end of these remarks, I talked about the history of this country. This is not the first time. You know, I think back, a slightly different thing, you know, in December of 1941, 1941, the United States was attacked at Pearl Harbor. You know what? We have to fight a war on two fronts. Complete.

The military was not prepared to do that. Yet in two years, country came together. We were able to lay the groundwork for victory. We can do it. We can do it when people are mobilized and are prepared to stand up and fight back. So what does success to you look like? In the short term.