Bernie Sanders labels billionaires who back Donald Trump in 2024 race as 'greedy', calls it 'oligrachy'
WASHINGTON, DC: Bernie Sanders has sharply criticized billionaires backing Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential race, labeling them as "greedy."
Speaking to MSNBC’s Chris Hayes, Sanders condemned the wealthy individuals supporting Trump, accusing them of prioritizing their own interests over democracy, according to The Hill.
Bernie Sanders says billionaires gave up democracy to support Donald Trump
In the interview, Sanders, who chairs the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, said, “At a time when we have so much greed out there, when the religion of the billionaire class is greed, they would rather give up democracy can take a hit."
“These guys are so greedy. So wedded to their wealth and their power that they will do anything, anything, to keep that position,” Sanders told Hayes on Friday, June 21.
“Trump is an outrageous example of selling out for money," he added.
Highlighting specific areas where billionaires have exerted significant influence, Sanders mentioned health care and climate change.
Arguing “This guy, Trump, wants to deregulate the fossil fuel industry even more and destroy the planet,” Sanders asked, “Why?”
He answered that it is because the billionaires aim to control the narrative by spending “huge amounts of money."
Bernie Sanders says oligarchy is an issue we have to deal with
When asked about the influence of money in politics, particularly post-Citizens United, a decision by the Supreme Court in 2010 that allowed unlimited independent spending in federal elections without the financial backing of billionaires is extremely difficult.
“If you will have the guts to take on neocon foreign policy [or] you want to take on the corporate interests that are so powerful, tell you what’s going to happen, you’re going to lose,” said Sanders.
“And that message goes all over Congress: You stand up for working class people, hey, your days are numbered," he continued.
“This is oligarchy. And it’s an issue that we have got to focus on and deal with,” added the senator.
Bernie Sanders contrasted Joe Biden's pro-union stance
Sanders contrasted Trump's billionaire-backed agenda with President Joe Biden's efforts to support working-class interests.
He cited the president's self-identification as the most "pro-union" president, referencing his participation in the United Autoworkers Strike in 2023 and the efforts of Federal Trade Commission Chair Lina Khan to combat monopolies.
Sanders' criticism of billionaires financially supporting the former president followed reports that a Trump super PAC, MAGA Inc, received $50 million from businessman Timothy Mellon after Trump's conviction in the hush money case in May, reported NBC News.
Additionally, the contribution coincided with the 77-year-old politician's recent shift to cryptocurrency, despite his earlier aversion to it.
