Now that the election is over, Bernie Sanders is speaking candidly about the Democratic party. In a memo shared on Instagram on Wednesday, Sanders expressed frustration with his view that the party is leaving behind many Americans and ignoring the issues that Democrats so deeply care about.
“It should come as no great surprise that a Democratic Party which has abandoned working-class people would find that the working class has abandoned them,” Sanders wrote in a scathing post. “While the Democratic leadership defends the status quo, the American people are angry and want change. And they’re right.”
Just days before the election, Bernie Sanders threw his support behind Kamala Harris. In a video posted on social media, the Vermont senator explained that while he was disappointed in the fact that Harris hadn’t done enough to distance herself from President Biden, he still believed Harris was undeniably better for the country given how catastrophic he felt another Trump presidency would be. “In my view, we just cannot elect a president that is a pathological liar, like Donald Trump, somebody who is working overtime to undermine American democracy,” he told his followers.
However, now that the election is in the rearview, Sanders has a lot more to say about how he feels the Democratic party has gotten off track. He addressed the fact that so many are living paycheck to paycheck as the top 1% gets richer. (This happened even more so after Trump’s win, with the top billionaires adding about $64 billion.) He also brought up the price of prescription drugs. And he addressed the crisis in the Middle East, and America’s continued financial support of Israel amid mounting destruction in Gaza.
“Will the big-money interests and well-paid consultants who control the Democratic Party learn any real lessons from his disaster campaign?” Sanders asked. “Do they have any ideas as to how we can take on the increasingly powerful Oligarchy which has so much economic and political power? Probably not.”
Sanders’ message was undeniably cryptic, especially because he didn’t offer any solutions—just harsh words for Democratic leaders who he clearly feels have failed the American people. Now, some are questioning why Sanders didn’t speak on this prior to the election. “You have the audacity to speak now while supporting Democratic party leadership all along,” one angry commenter wrote.
However, most of the senator’s followers seem pleased that he is no longer biting his tongue. “Gloves off. Bernie is back,” another commenter quipped.
It’s clear that Bernie Sanders is worried about the future of America, and especially about who is looking out for working people, immigrants, and marginalized communities. It’s not unlike the senator’s previous stances on the issues that impact working Americans. But in the wake of Trump’s victory, the tone feels even more worrying.
Still, Sanders seemed to have shared the words not to frighten people, but simply as a call to action for Democrats to get to work and get back on track. He signed off by saying, “In the coming weeks and months, those of us concerned about grassroots democracy and economic justice need to have some very serious political discussions. Stay tuned.”
We’re guessing the outspoken senator will have more to say very soon.