Sanders: Tour with Ocasio-Cortez meant to encourage more independent candidates
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) said in a Thursday report from The New York Times that his tour with Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) is meant to encourage more independent candidates to run.
“One of the aspects of this tour is to try to rally people to get engaged in the political process and run as independents outside of the Democratic Party,” Sanders told the Times.
“There’s a lot of great leadership all over this country at the grass-roots level. We’ve got to bring that forward. And if we do that, we can defeat Trumpism and we can transform the political situation in America,” he added.
According to an Instagram post from Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez, the two politicians stops in Las Vegas and Tempe, Ariz., on Thursday; Greeley, Colo., and Denver on Friday; and Tucson, Ariz., on Saturday.
“This week, I am headed to Nevada, Arizona, and Colorado with @AOC, @GregCasar, and @StevenHorsford to hold town halls with working class Americans,” Sanders said in a post on the social platform X on Tuesday. “Together, we will stand strong in the struggle against authoritarianism and oligarchy. I hope you'll join us.”
Sanders’s comments come amid turmoil in the Democratic Party about how to combat President Trump and his administration, with frustrations especially bubbling up in the last week after a small group of Senate Democrats voted to advance a Republican-crafted funding bill despite intense opposition to it from many in the party.
“If there’s any hope for the Democratic Party, it is that they’re going to have to reach out — open the doors and let working-class people in, let working-class leadership come into the party,” Sanders told the Times. “If not, people will be running as independents, I think, all over this country.”
The Hill has reached out to the Democratic National Committee and the White House for comment.
-
Watch live: Sanders, Ocasio-Cortez begin 'Fighting Oligarchy' tour
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) are set to hold their first joint rally in Las Vegas Thursday afternoon, as the duo protest moves by the Trump administration ...The Hill - 17h -
Ocasio-Cortez, Sanders take aim at Musk in first joint rally
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) focused their criticism on Elon Musk in their first joint rally in a tour the two are going on this week. The progressive ...The Hill - 13h -
Sanders, Ocasio-Cortez hold 'Fight the Oligarchy' rally in Las Vegas
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., and Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., brought their "Fighting Oligarchy" Tour to Las Vegas, N.V., where they spoke about the lack of current Democratic leadership ...NBC News - 12h -
Sinema calls out Ocasio-Cortez, other Dems over 'sudden change of heart' on filibuster
Former Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (I-Ariz.) had a heated exchange with Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) and other Democratic party members who she said switched their stance on support for the ...The Hill - 5d -
Ocasio-Cortez: 'If Republicans wanted to avert a shutdown, they can'
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) on Thursday put the onus on Republicans to avert the looming government shutdown. “Everybody knows that Donald Trump is president, that Republicans have the ...The Hill - Mar. 13 -
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Bernie Sanders rally Democrats, calling for a party that 'fights harder'
LAS VEGAS — At the first stop of their “Fighting Oligarchy” tour out West, two of the Democratic Party’s most unabashed progressive lawmakers had plenty to say about President Donald Trump.NBC News - 10h -
Fetterman claps back at Ocasio-Cortez on government funding vote
Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.), who announced days ago that he would vote for a House-passed funding bill to avoid a government shutdown, said he doesn’t care about firebrand Rep. Alexandria ...The Hill - 6d -
Sanders: 'These are the scariest times in my life'
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) says “these are the scariest times in my life” because of Elon Musk's growing power and what the former presidential candidate described as both an “oligarchy” and “the ...The Hill - Mar. 12 -
Ocasio-Cortez knocks Schumer over spending bill support
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York has been on the airwaves making it clear she strongly disagrees with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and other Democrats who are backing the ...CBS News - 6d
More from The Hill
-
When the courts can’t save us, who can?
Our courts are not designed for the threat that Trumpian authoritarianism poses.The Hill - 1h -
Trump’s early Florida governor endorsement is revenge for DeSantis’s ‘disloyalty’
Trump's early endorsement was made for a reason.The Hill - 1h -
Will your spouse cheat on you? Here's what the data say.
What are the signs? What type of person is most likely to cheat? What are the most likely scenarios people cheat in? What circumstances increase the likelihood? What are the red flags you should ...The Hill - 1h -
Morning Report — Trump hails Education Department shrinkage
In today’s issue: The Education Department will be dismantled and give states greater autonomy over education, President Trump vowed during a White House event Thursday intended to showcase a ...The Hill - 2h -
Whole Hog Politics: Musk’s clout is on the ballot in Wisconsin
On the menu: Dems plumb new poll low, Texas GOP braces for bitter Senate primary, 2026’s tiny House map, Do you even politics, bro?, Un-herd-of artist Voting got underway this week in the race for ...The Hill - 2h
More in Politics
-
When the courts can’t save us, who can?
Our courts are not designed for the threat that Trumpian authoritarianism poses.The Hill - 1h -
Will your spouse cheat on you? Here's what the data say.
What are the signs? What type of person is most likely to cheat? What are the most likely scenarios people cheat in? What circumstances increase the likelihood? What are the red flags you should ...The Hill - 1h -
Trump’s early Florida governor endorsement is revenge for DeSantis’s ‘disloyalty’
Trump's early endorsement was made for a reason.The Hill - 1h -
Morning Report — Trump hails Education Department shrinkage
In today’s issue: The Education Department will be dismantled and give states greater autonomy over education, President Trump vowed during a White House event Thursday intended to showcase a ...The Hill - 2h -
Democrats face frustrated voters at raucous town halls
Republicans are not the only lawmakers facing confrontational town halls over the congressional recess. Democratic lawmakers are increasingly facing the ire of the party’s liberal base over their ...The Hill - 2h