At 83 years old, Bernie Sanders Is Showing Democrats How It’s Done: ‘You look around—who else is doing it? No one’
The Vermont senator is taking his anti-Trump tour to red America—and it’s working.
For months, Democratic leaders have been grappling with how to counter Donald Trump’s expanding voter base, his aggressive dismantling of government institutions, and his escalating push for authoritarian control. While there have been occasional moments of unity—such as when House Democrats forced the GOP to pass its own budget bill—the party as a whole has struggled to develop a clear, cohesive response. Instead, their approach has largely mirrored strategist James Carville’s defeatist suggestion for Democrats to “roll over and play dead” and hope Republicans self-destruct.
This passive stance was ineffective when Biden centered his 2024 campaign around it. It was a flawed strategy in 1930s Germany. And it remains a losing tactic today, especially as Trump’s influence grows and more Americans grow frustrated with Democratic inaction. Recent polling reflects this concern: 40 percent of voters believe Democrats lack a strategy to counter Trump, and another 24 percent think their current approach is failing. Only 10 percent believe the party has a solid game plan.
Bernie Sanders is taking a different path. With his "Fighting Oligarchy" tour, Sanders is rallying voters in Republican-led swing districts, exposing Trump’s billionaire-friendly, middle-class-hurting policies. His stops in states like Nebraska and Iowa have sparked overwhelming grassroots enthusiasm. In Kenosha, Wisconsin, 4,000 people turned out for his speech; the next morning, 2,600 gathered in Altoona, a town of fewer than 10,000. Outside Detroit, Sanders addressed a staggering 9,000 attendees, overflowing a gym, two additional rooms, and even the parking lot.
Unlike many Democratic elites, Sanders recognizes that breaking through today’s divided media landscape requires more than press conferences and bland op-eds. Swing voters aren’t tuning in when top Democrats hold dry briefings in Washington, nor are they swayed by sternly worded congressional letters. However, when a national leader shows up in their town—not for a last-minute campaign rally, but for an urgent, off-year call to action—it sends a powerful message of urgency and commitment. Democrats could benefit greatly from adopting this approach.
By taking a proactive stance, Sanders is also putting Republicans on the defensive. Many GOP lawmakers, facing growing discontent from their own constituents, have been ordered to avoid town halls altogether. Instead of waiting for Republican moderates to miraculously oppose Trump’s devastating policy proposals, Sanders is rallying voters to pressure them directly. This approach shifts the political calculus: GOP legislators must now consider the electoral consequences of supporting Trump’s agenda.
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Beyond mobilizing voters, Sanders’ tour is generating impactful media coverage at the local level—coverage that highlights real Americans affected by Trump’s policies. For instance:
CBS News Detroit interviewed two cancer survivors at a rally. Elliot Stephens, whose daughter has cancer, condemned proposed cuts to children’s cancer research and Medicaid: “If they cut Medicaid, that’s going to hurt a lot of people—senior citizens, disabled people, single moms, children. People will die from that.”
ABC News Eau Claire covered Sanders’ demand that GOP Congressman Derrick Van Orden hold a town hall. Van Orden’s office had previously canceled a constituent meeting, and when pressed by the news outlet, refused to comment.
These types of stories—showcasing the direct impact of Trump’s policies and calling out GOP inaction—are exactly what Democrats need to be generating, particularly in swing districts.
Sanders has long been at odds with the Democratic establishment, which has often dismissed or sidelined him. Yet, he remains committed to the party and is now one of its few prominent figures actively confronting Trumpism where it matters most. Meanwhile, Vice President Kamala Harris has largely disappeared from the public eye, President Biden has remained silent since welcoming Trump back to the White House, and Barack Obama seems more focused on his post-presidency lifestyle than the fight against authoritarianism.
This lack of urgency from Democratic leadership is not only a political miscalculation but a failure to recognize the moment. If Trump’s rise has demonstrated anything, it’s that Americans gravitate toward leaders who fight. The Democratic Party’s current strategy of retreat and hesitation projects weakness. Sanders, on the other hand, is in the trenches, showing courage and resolve. Even voters who don’t align with his policy views respect his willingness to stand up and take action.
Staying on the sidelines while democracy is at stake is not an option. If Democrats want to remain relevant, they must break free from Washington’s insular bubble and engage directly with the communities that will decide the next election. Bernie Sanders is proving how it’s done. The question is: Will the rest of the party follow his lead?
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Tell me ( I wouldn’t know as don’t live on America ) why oh why is it that Harris , Obama even Biden are so visibly invisible/ apart from the magnificent old man Bernie Sanders ! Good on him 👏👏👍
I’m a fellow new englander and love Bernie. He’s always said the same thing since the 1970s. Not once has he flip flopped.