AND
n 2025, at this time of danger in American history, our message is exactly the same: no, President Trump, we do not want you or any other king to rule us. Thank you very much, but we will maintain our democratic form of society. We will not move towards authoritarianism. In the United States we, the people, will govern.
In a way never seen before, this democratic experiment is now in danger.
It is in danger when we have a president who wants more and more power in his hands, and in the hands of other oligarchs like him.
It is in danger when we have a president who claims that peaceful protests in Portland, Oregon, or Chicago, Illinois, are an “insurrection,” and calls out the country’s military. And then he threatens to arrest mayors and governors who resist him.
It’s in danger when masked agents working for ICE break down doors, throw people into vans without due process, and take them to God knows where.
It is in danger when we have a president who sues and intimidates the media, who brooks no criticism of himself or his policies, and who undermines the First Amendment of the Constitution – the very foundation of our democracy.
Our country is in danger when we have a president who threatens to arrest or imprison political opponents who are against him, such as the attorney general of New York state, a sitting senator, and the governor of California.
It is in danger when we have a president who undermines freedom of thought and dissent in our schools and universities, and who attacks law firms that oppose him in court.
It is in danger when we have a president who threatens to impeach judges who issue verdicts against him.
It is in danger when we have a president who ignores Congress, refuses to spend money that Congress appropriates, and takes money from states that voted against him.
It is in danger when we have a president who demands that states redraw their legislative maps to ensure that the candidates he selects win future elections.
It is in danger when we have a president who illegally fires thousands of federal employees here in Washington and across the country, and breaks union agreements that workers fought for and won.
It is in danger when we have a president who flagrantly violates the Constitution by accepting gifts from foreign leaders, including a $400 million plane from the royal family of Qatar, and then allowing that family to build an air force facility in Idaho.
But let’s be clear: This moment is not just about one man’s ambition, one man’s corruption, or his contempt for the Constitution. This is a handful of the richest men on Earth who, in their insatiable greed, have hijacked our economy and political system to enrich themselves at the expense of working families across the country.
Yes, I’m talking about Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, Mark Zuckerberg, and the other billionaires who were sitting behind Donald Trump at his inauguration: the same millionaires who have funded his campaign, who have given him gifts, and who have had enormous increases in their wealth and power since Trump took office.
Yes, I’m talking about the madness of one person, Elon Musk, who now owns more wealth than 52 percent of the lowest-income American households.
I’m talking about the incredible injustice that the richest one percent in the country now owns more wealth than the poorest 93 percent.
I’m talking about the richest in the country getting a lot richer, while 60 percent of our people live paycheck to paycheck, struggling to pay rent and mortgages, to pay for childcare and education, for health care and patented medicines, for decent quality food for their children, and to put aside a few dollars for their retirement.
I’m talking about our nation, the richest country in the history of the world, having the highest rate of child and elderly poverty of almost any other major country on the planet.
I’m talking about our great nation having 85 million uninsured or underinsured Americans and 800,000 homeless people, while Elon Musk is on his way to becoming a billionaire.
I’m talking about the incredible danger of the country’s richest people investing hundreds of billions of dollars in artificial intelligence and robotics, which, over the next decade, will eliminate tens of thousands of jobs for the country’s working class.
I’m talking about a billionaire class that believes it has a divine right to rule, and that not only wants huge tax cuts for itself, but also rejects any form of accountability or control over its power.
He establishmentwhich includes the corporate media and many of my colleagues in Congress, wants us to believe that we are powerless. He wants us to believe that we cannot change the status quo. But that’s a lie.
Throughout our country’s history, when Americans have resisted and fought for justice, they have won.
When the founders opposed King George, they were told it was impossible. But they won.
When abolitionists fought to end slavery, they were told it was impossible. But they won.
When workers organized to form unions and resist their bosses, they were told it was impossible. But they won.
When women demanded the right to vote, they were told it was impossible. But they won.
When black Americans fought to end segregation, they were told it was impossible. But they won.
When the LGBT community fought for their rights, they were told it was impossible. But they won.
They did it then. Today we can do it and we will do it.
As I understand it, today, October 18, there are more people on the streets, in more communities across the country, than we have seen at any time in the country’s history.
But let’s be clear: this is not the end. It’s just the beginning.
Together, when we stand united, we will create the nation we know we can become. A nation dedicated to freedom, justice and democracy.
*Edited version of Senator Bernie Sanders’ speech at the No Kings Day rally in Washington on October 18.
Translation: Jorge Anaya
