It's short but covers a lot of ground
Bernie Sanders has said he and progressives would ‘vigorously oppose’ President Donald Trump should he pursue ‘racist, sexist, xenophobic and anti-environment policies’.
In his first statement after Trump’s election on Tuesday, Sanders said the result was caused by anger over growing inequality in America.
The Vermont Senator, who lost the Democratic Party nomination to Hillary Clinton, said he and progressives are willing to work with Trump ‘to the degree that he is serious’ about improving the lives of working people.
His remarks come after Senator Elizabeth Warren, a fierce critic of Trump during the campaign, held out an olive branch yesterday, telling the Boston Globe: ‘President-elect Trump promised to rebuild our economy for working people, and I offer to put aside our differences and work with him on that task.’
Here is the full statement from Sanders:
“Donald Trump tapped into the anger of a declining middle class that is sick and tired of establishment economics, establishment politics and the establishment media.
People are tired of working longer hours for lower wages, of seeing decent paying jobs go to China and other low-wage countries, of billionaires not paying any federal income taxes and of not being able to afford a college education for their kids – all while the very rich become much richer.
To the degree that Mr. Trump is serious about pursuing policies that improve the lives of working families in this country, I and other progressives are prepared to work with him.
To the degree that he pursues racist, sexist, xenophobic and anti-environment policies, we will vigorously oppose him.”
Adam Barnett is staff writer for Left Foot Forward. Follow him on Twitter @AdamBarnett13
13 Responses to “Bernie Sanders has a message for US president elect Donald Trump”
GodfreyR
That sounds just like the attitude of the anti-democracy remoaners here in the UK.
Craig Mackay
The difference in the UK is that the right-wing Brexiteers have no intention of improving significantly the lot of the left-behinders who brought them into prominence. Conservatives are just not very good at revolutions. I rather doubt that Trump either will be able to create a genuine revolution that helps the poor.
Tezza
Why do people like Bernie Saunders refer to themselves as ‘Progressives’?
Peddling economic policies that have been shown multiple times across the world to be complete failures is regressive not progressive.
Since the collapse of the USSR socialists have done a good job at rebranding their failed doctrine with the words ‘liberal’ and ‘progressive’, which is ironic because we all know socialism is the antithesis of liberalism and progress.
Anon
For “progressive” read Globalist.
If Labour wish to re-establish their links to the ‘left-behinders’, they are going to have to ditch this Orwellian bullshit and start to represent and work for them.
I want my Labour party back – I’m sick of this university-educated class who have hijacked it.
Highlighter
“I want my Labour party back – I’m sick of this university-educated class who have hijacked it.”
So true. Since Blair the labour party just takes for granted its working class voters, whilst at the same time holding them in utter contempt. Who does the labour party represent now?, and why does it tolerate massive hypocrites like Diane Abbott? Its too toxic for me to touch these days