TL/DR –
Sen. Bernie Sanders defended his use of the term “oligarchy” to describe the Trump administration and its allies, a term criticised by fellow Democratic caucus members Sen. Elissa Slotkin and Gov. Tim Walz. Slotkin argued that the term does not resonate beyond coastal institutions, while Walz criticised Democrats for using complex terms. Sanders explained that the term “oligarchy” accurately reflects a situation in which “the top 1% owns more wealth than the bottom 90%”.
Bernie Sanders Responds to Democratic Caucus Members Over ‘Oligarchy’ Term Usage
In response to criticism from fellow Democrats, Sen. Bernie Sanders defended his use of the term “oligarchy” to describe Trump administration allies. He stated that the “American people are not quite as dumb” as his detractors believe, to not understand the term.
This comes after Sen. Elissa Slotkin, who won a competitive Senate race in Michigan the same year Trump won the presidential election, expressed to Politico that Democrats should cease using the term “oligarchy.” She argued the term doesn’t resonate beyond coastal institutions.
Gov. Tim Walz also recently criticized Democrats for using terms like “oligarch” and “food insecurity”.
While neither Slotkin nor Walz directly mentioned Sanders, their comments coincide with Sanders’ “Fighting Oligarchy” tour with Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, drawing crowds in the tens of thousands.
Sanders countered criticism by citing massive turnouts at rallies, stating, “We had 36,000 people out in Los Angeles, 34,000 people in Colorado, 30,000 people in Folsom, California.”
He further argued, “When the top 1% owns more wealth than the bottom 90%, when big-money interests control both political parties, [Americans] are living in an oligarchy.”
The clash between Slotkin and Sanders occurs as Democrats reassess their strategy following losses in the presidential election and several Senate races. Democrats agree on focusing on a post-Trump vision for America, but haven’t settled on a unified vision.
Sanders, the progressive standard bearer since his 2016 presidential bid, emphasized this point, stating “Democrats lack a vision for the future.”
Newcomer Elissa Slotkin, who flipped a Michigan House seat for the Democrats in 2018, was selected to give the official Democratic rebuttal to Trump’s joint address to Congress earlier this year.
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