U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) speaks at a press conference about prescription drug costs on September 17, 2024, in Washington, DC. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
OAN Staff Blake Wolf 10:55 AM – Wednesday, March 12, 2025
Independent Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont, identifying as a “democratic Socialist,” recently stated that “these are the scariest times in my life,” in reference to President Donald Trump’s election win and his partnership with billionaire Elon Musk.
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“These are, you know, the scariest times in my lifetime,” Sanders (I-Vt.) expressed during a discussion on “Pod Save America” with Jon Lovett.
“I think that’s objectively true. It’s not just [that] they desire to extend tax benefits to billionaires while slashing programs for working-class individuals. That has happened before,” he elaborated.
“When you combine that with the overall influence of the oligarchy, plus the fact that Mr. Musk owns Twitter and can broadcast his messages to hundreds of millions, it’s concerning,” Sanders added.
While he has criticized the Democratic Party since the 2024 presidential race, Sanders remains vocal against the alliance of Trump and Musk, asserting that their administration embodies “a government of the billionaire class, by the billionaire class, and for the billionaire class.”
“It should come as no surprise that a Democratic Party that has neglected working-class individuals would see the working class turn their backs on them. As Democratic leaders uphold the status quo, the American populace is frustrated and seeking change. And they are justified in that,” Sanders remarked on X on November 6th, 2024.
During his talk on “Pod Save America,” Sanders further asserted that the Trump administration poses a threat to free speech and moves towards “authoritarianism.”
“You also have individuals like Bezos, the second-richest person in the nation, who has dismissed most of his editorial team and intends to reshape it into a right-wing platform,” Sanders noted. “Add Trump’s lawsuits against major media outlets and his hints at investigating PBS and NPR to the mix.”
However, Sanders neglected to mention that Trump’s legal actions against specific media outlets revolve around addressing falsehoods being propagated about him and his administration — rather than suppressing “free speech.” Last year, ABC News paid Trump $15 million after one of their hosts falsely claimed he was “liable for rape.”
“Thus, it’s not only the concentration of wealth that’s concerning; it also aligns with the shift towards authoritarianism,” Sanders added.
Additionally, Sanders claimed that Trump and Musk’s cuts to certain federal funding are “unconstitutional” and “illegal.”
“When Trump unilaterally eliminates federal funding approved by Congress, that constitutes an illegal and unconstitutional action,” he articulated. “When the vice president suggests that, in his opinion, the courts lack the authority to prevent unconstitutional presidential actions, that signals authoritarianism.”
“Trump is attempting to dismantle what the Founding Fathers had the foresight to establish—a governance model with checks and balances,” Sanders contended. “It’s a perilous moment.”
NEW: Bernie Sanders, who experienced both the Cuban Missile Crisis & the 9/11 attacks, claims Trump & Musk are creating “the scariest time in my lifetime.”
Such a clown.
Sanders asserts it’s “objectively true” that this is indeed the most frightening time in the last 83 years.
Moreover, Sanders recently criticized Musk for labeling Democratic Senator Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) a traitor for visiting Ukraine, describing Musk’s remarks as “disgraceful.”
“Kelly is a veteran who serves his nation, and he traveled to Ukraine to understand the situation from the perspective of the Ukrainian people regarding [Trump’s] betrayal of the country… and you have Musk referring to Mark Kelly as a traitor,” Sanders expressed in a recent CNN interview.
“The American public is clearly tired of the wealthiest individual in the world controlling the United States government and labeling a man who risked his life for our safety as a traitor. That crosses a line.”
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