๐จ Bernie Sanders issues BAD NEWS for Trump ahead of election
Summary
TLDRIn a recent interview, Senator Bernie Sanders addresses critical issues facing the United States, including the administration's stance on the Israel-Gaza conflict, the economy, women's rights, and the importance of protecting democratic processes. Sanders strongly disagrees with President Biden's approach to Gaza, emphasizing the need for a humanitarian solution and the cessation of military aid that perpetuates the conflict. He also discusses the economic disparities in the U.S., highlighting the growing wealth gap and the need for policy changes to support working people. On the topic of women's rights, Sanders condemns the rollback of abortion rights and the interference of politics in personal health decisions. He stresses the importance of the upcoming elections, advocating for the continued support of progressive candidates to drive policy changes and protect democratic values.
Takeaways
- ๐ณ๏ธ Senator Bernie Sanders strongly disagrees with President Biden's approach to the situation in Gaza and believes the U.S. should not provide military aid to Israel without certain conditions being met.
- ๐ค Sanders advises against punishing Biden by not voting or voting against him in November, emphasizing the importance of considering the alternative, which he views as far worse under Donald Trump.
- ๐ Sanders is concerned about the high cost of prescription drugs in the U.S. compared to other countries and is actively working to address this issue, as evidenced by his investigation into Novo Nordisk's pricing practices.
- ๐ด The Senator is advocating for the protection of social security and Medicare, criticizing attempts to cut benefits and stressing the need for reform, such as lifting the cap on Social Security contributions.
- ๐จโ๐ฉโ๐งโ๐ฆ Sanders highlights the issue of income and wealth inequality in the U.S., noting that while the economy may be doing well for the top 1%, many Americans are struggling with the effects of inflation and stagnant wages.
- ๐ He discusses the need for environmental policy and the importance of addressing climate change, which is a significant concern for many Americans.
- ๐คฐ Sanders is a staunch supporter of women's rights, particularly the right to abortion, and criticizes the efforts of Trump and Republicans to roll back these rights.
- ๐๏ธ The Senator emphasizes the importance of the upcoming elections, not just for the presidency but also for the Senate and House, where slim majorities and the potential for Republican control pose a significant threat to progressive policies.
- ๐ฐ Sanders calls for campaign finance reform, advocating for public funding of elections to reduce the influence of billionaires on the political process.
- ๐ ๏ธ He introduces the 32-hour work week act, aiming to reduce the workload of American workers and distribute the benefits of increased productivity more equitably.
- ๐ค Sanders encourages continued pressure on the Biden administration to address various issues, including foreign policy, economic inequality, and the protection of democratic institutions.
Q & A
What is Senator Bernie Sanders' stance on President Biden's approach to the situation in Gaza?
-Senator Bernie Sanders strongly disagrees with President Biden's approach to the situation in Gaza. He believes that while Israel has the right to respond militarily to attacks by Hamas, it does not have the right to wage war against the entire Palestinian people.
How does Senator Sanders feel about the current state of the U.S. economy?
-Senator Sanders acknowledges that there are strong economic indicators such as low inflation, increased real wages, and record job growth. However, he also points out that many people are not feeling the effects of this growth, and he emphasizes the need to address income and wealth inequality.
What does Senator Sanders suggest as an alternative to punishing President Biden at the ballot box?
-Instead of punishing President Biden, Senator Sanders suggests continuing to elect progressives to the House and Senate to build a political movement that demands Biden address the needs of working people, the environment, and changes his views on foreign policy.
What is Senator Sanders' view on the potential impact of Donald Trump's policies on healthcare?
-Senator Sanders is critical of Donald Trump, stating that Trump wants to give tax breaks to billionaires and throw millions of people off healthcare. He sees Trump's policies as detrimental to the average American.
How does Senator Sanders describe the current labor shortage in the U.S.?
-Senator Sanders describes the labor shortage as a 'good problem to have,' indicating that it is better to have more jobs than workers rather than the opposite. However, he acknowledges that the shortage is impacting the economy.
What is Senator Sanders' opinion on the issue of abortion rights in the U.S.?
-Senator Sanders is strongly in favor of protecting a woman's right to control her own body. He criticizes Donald Trump and the Republicans for trying to roll back women's rights and for their efforts to undermine the constitutional right to abortion.
What does Senator Sanders propose to address the issue of income and wealth inequality?
-Senator Sanders proposes lifting the cap on Social Security contributions, which would allow for the expansion of benefits and extend the solvency of Social Security. He also calls for an agenda that takes on powerful special interests and addresses income and wealth inequality.
How does Senator Sanders view the current state of the Republican party?
-Senator Sanders sees the Republican party as increasingly right-wing extremist and believes that it does not believe in democracy. He is particularly concerned about the party's attempts to suppress votes and undermine the election process.
What is Senator Sanders' position on the funding of election infrastructure?
-Senator Sanders believes it is crucial to properly fund election infrastructure to ensure that every eligible voter can cast their vote without fear. He is against any efforts to defund or undermine the election process.
What does Senator Sanders think about the influence of big money in politics?
-Senator Sanders is against the influence of big money in politics and advocates for public funding of elections rather than billionaire funding. He believes that democracy should be about one person one vote, not about the ability to buy elections.
How does Senator Sanders plan to address the high cost of prescription drugs in the U.S.?
-Senator Sanders plans to address the high cost of prescription drugs by pushing for negotiations between Medicare and drug companies. He aims to prevent pharmaceutical companies from overcharging Americans compared to what they charge in other countries.
Outlines
๐ Presidential Election and Middle East Conflict
Senator Bernie Sanders discusses the significance of the upcoming presidential election and expresses strong disagreement with President Biden's approach to the Israel-Gaza conflict. He emphasizes the need for Israel to not wage war against the entire Palestinian population and calls for a halt to the humanitarian crisis. Sanders also addresses the economy, highlighting strong indicators but acknowledging that many Americans are not feeling the benefits. He stresses the importance of electing progressives to push for change and criticizes Donald Trump's policies.
๐ Economic Inequality and Women's Rights
The paragraph focuses on the economic inequality in America, where the top 1% are doing exceptionally well while the majority struggles. Sanders points out the need for the president to address income and wealth inequality and praises the work of the FTC chair, Lena Khan. He also condemns Donald Trump's stance on women's rights, particularly on abortion, and calls out the hypocrisy of Republicans who previously argued against government interference in healthcare decisions.
๐ Republican Party's Extreme Views and Election Infrastructure
Sanders expresses concern over the growing extremism within the Republican party and their disregard for democracy. He discusses the potential consequences of the party's refusal to fund election infrastructure, which could lead to voter suppression and disinformation. The senator calls for proper funding to ensure fair and accessible elections and criticizes the GOP for their attempts to undermine the democratic process.
๐ก Impact of Wealthy Candidates and Corporate Influence
The paragraph discusses the influence of wealthy individuals in politics, with Sanders criticizing the corrupt system that allows billionaires to fund elections. He calls for campaign finance reform and public funding of elections to counter the power of big money. Sanders also highlights the importance of the Senate elections in battleground states and the potential disaster if Republicans gain control.
๐ค Corporate Exploitation and Pharmaceutical Pricing
Senator Sanders addresses the issue of corporate exploitation, particularly in the pharmaceutical industry, with a focus on the price differential for medications like OIC between the US and other countries. He calls for drug companies to treat Americans fairly and not to 'rip off' the population and government. Sanders emphasizes the need for negotiations and reform to make medications affordable and accessible.
๐ Election Integrity and the Role of Democrats
The final paragraph touches on the importance of maintaining election integrity and the role of Democrats in office to ensure progress on issues such as drug pricing and election funding. Sanders thanks Brian for the discussion and reiterates the critical nature of the upcoming November election.
Mindmap
Keywords
๐กConsequential election
๐กWaning enthusiasm
๐กMilitary aid to Israel
๐กProgressives
๐กEconomic inequality
๐กPharmaceutical pricing
๐กAbortion rights
๐กElection infrastructure
๐กCampaign finance reform
๐ก32-hour work week act
๐กVoter suppression
Highlights
Senator Bernie Sanders expresses strong disagreement with President Biden's approach to the situation in Gaza.
Sanders believes Israel has the right to respond to Hamas attacks but not to wage war against the entire Palestinian population.
He criticizes the Biden administration for potentially providing military aid to Israel, which could prolong the conflict.
Sanders argues against voting against Biden or not voting at all in November, citing the dangers of a Trump presidency.
He emphasizes the importance of electing progressives to influence Biden's policies on working people, the environment, and foreign policy.
Sanders acknowledges the economy's strong indicators but points out that many people are not feeling the effects.
He discusses the labor shortage in Vermont and across the U.S., contrasting it with the problem of unemployment.
The Senator highlights the growing income and wealth inequality in the U.S., with the billionaire class faring exceptionally well.
Sanders mentions his efforts in reducing the cost of prescription drugs and the potential for forgiving student debt.
He condemns Donald Trump's stance on women's rights, particularly regarding abortion, and the Republican party's attempts to roll back these rights.
Sanders criticizes Trump's influence on the Supreme Court, which has led to the overturning of Roe v. Wade.
The Senator discusses the need for campaign finance reform to prevent the wealthy from buying elections.
Sanders introduces the 32-hour work week act, aiming to reduce worker exhaustion and redistribute the benefits of increased productivity.
He calls for an investigation into pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk for its extreme price differential of medication in the U.S. versus abroad.
Sanders emphasizes the need to protect and properly fund election infrastructure to prevent disinformation and voter suppression.
He warns about the potential disaster if Republicans gain control over the House, Senate, and Presidency.
The Senator discusses the slim majority in the Senate and the importance of supporting Democratic candidates in battleground states.
Transcripts
now we've got Senator Bernie Sanders
thanks so much for taking the time my
pleasure good to be with you you too uh
we've got the most consequential
election of our lifetimes coming up
after what was already the most
consequential election of our lifetimes
in the 2020 election but President
Biden's now contending with waning
enthusiasm from young people and
progressives um as the result of Gaza
and and Israel for example what do you
say to those people who right now feel
like they want to punish Biden at The
Ballot Box in November by either voting
against him or not it all well Brian
that is maybe the most important
question that we can discuss so let me
be clear I strongly strongly strongly
disagree uh with President Biden over
his administration's approach to what's
going on in Gaza uh in my view and I
think uh that view is shared by a strong
majority of the American people
especially young people uh often young
people of color uh the reality is that
while Israel has every right in the
world to respond militarily to the
terrorist attack by Hamas they do not
have the right to go to war against the
entire Palestinian people and that is
precisely what we are seeing right now I
think as we speak close to
35,000 Palestinians have been killed
over 77,000 have been wounded that is
more than 5% of the entire population
infrastructure destroyed destroyed
education destroyed Health Care System
destroyed and right now we're looking at
the possibility of hundreds of thousands
of children starving so I think the
president is dead wrong on that issue
and I did my best to make sure and will
continue to do my best to make sure that
Israel does not get US military aid to
continue that war having said that I
would hope that people in response to
your question take a deep breath and say
okay okay what are our options here we
disagree with Biden on
Gaza uh we're going to look at Donald
Trump well Donald Trump is a
pathological liar uh Donald Trump is a
guy who does not believe that women have
a right to control their own bodies uh
he is somebody who thinks that climate
change is a hoax somebody who has said
incredibly bigoted and and racist uh
remarks who wants to give Mass of tax
breaks to billionaires who wants to
throw millions of people off of
healthcare that is not an alternative
what is the alternative the alternative
is to continue to elect progressives to
the house and occasionally to the Senate
uh build a political movement which
demands that Biden starts addressing the
needs of working people the environment
and changes his views on foreign policy
to that point can you speak about the
ability to move Biden versus the ability
to move Trump for some fol folks look I
think both Trump and Biden are good
politicians that's all and you're in a
political moment they listen to people
if you think that uh Biden's people are
not concerned with the numbers that they
are seeing where young people who used
to be supportive of a democratic nominee
are increasingly less supportive if you
think they're not paying attention to
that you'd be dead wrong so I think
we've got to continue the pressure and
in my view the pressure right now is to
say to president Biden okay you won your
vote to get more military aid to Israel
but you don't have to release that until
Israel does AB c and d and that is most
importantly uh end this humanitarian
disaster which could lead to the
starvation of huge numbers of people now
to a similar Point we've got an economy
right now with some really strong
indicators inflation is is is down from
where it was real wages are up
employment's at uh under 4% for the
longest stretch in half a Century stock
markets at an all-time high record job
growth but for a lot of people in this
country they're not feeling its effects
and while inflation is down for example
prices are still up generally so how do
you approach this issue for folks who
who who simply enough say I'm paying
more at the grocery store this cereal
was cheaper When Donald Trump was in
office uh the economy today is stronger
than it was when Trump was in office for
all of the reasons that you gave you
know we take take it for granted in my
state of Vermont right now you know what
our major economic crisis is right now
it is the labor shortage good problem to
have yeah well it's not I mean it really
is impacting our economy we don't have
enough workers and that is true in many
parts of of the country but that is a
much better problem to have than to have
millions of people who are want to work
and unable to find jobs uh what we have
I think what people are dealing with and
you know Brian there are a lot of you
know people's attitudes are shaped by a
lot of things they are shaped by the
pain that we went through with covid are
they're shaped by the fears that we have
with regard to climate change what kind
of planet will we have for our kids and
our grandchildren they're shaped by
racism and and bigotry uh they're shaped
by a lot of things and I think right now
uh when people are looking at the
economy what they are perceiving I think
correct ly is yeah the economy maybe
yeah it's okay but it's doing really
well for the people on top and that is a
point that we don't make often enough in
fact the 1% in America the billionaire
class have never ever had it so good not
in the history of this country more
income and wealth inequality than we
have ever had three people owning more
wealth in the bottom half of American
society richest people getting much
richer so I think what the president has
got to talk about is say all right look
we made some progress on the economy
we're rebuilding our infrastructure
that's good making some progress
lowering the cost of prescription drugs
and issue I have worked on uh that's
good we are for giving by the way a lot
of student
debt I don't know if you're aware of it
but we're talking about
millions of young people whose lives
have been transformed I talked to a
woman I was at the Morgan State a couple
of weeks ago uh and she was faculty
member $80,000 in debt removed
transformative for her life all right
that is true for I talk to people in
Vermont same thing uh we got to talk
about that but most importantly we have
got to demand that the president come up
with an agenda that takes on powerful
special interest income and wealth
inequality and by the way I don't know
if you've had the occasion to talk to
Lena Khan from the
FTC have you had that occasion no I
haven't spoken to her it's a worthwhile
discussion she's doing a tremendous job
best FDC chair we have ever had in
breaking up monopolies uh and standing
up for working people so we have made
some progress but I do understand the
reality that today real inflation
accounted for dollars are no better than
they were 50 years ago despite all of
the uh increase in productivity that
we've seen now uh another issue that
really has impacted people across this
country is obviously the issue of
abortion in recent interview with time
Donald Trump came out and expressed
support for allowing states to monitor
women's pregnancies so that they can
know if they've gotten an abortion after
a ban was put in place can I get your
reaction to that I mean what can I say I
mean you know what can you say
monitoring women's pregnancies in the
land of the free I mean it is you know
unspeakable uh and you know clearly what
uh Trump and many of his Republican
colleagues are about
are at war with women's rights trying to
roll back the gains that women have
struggled for for so many
years uh but the idea that after women
had won the constitutional right what we
thought was the constitutional right to
be able to control their all bodies you
got a supreme court uh undermining
overturning roie Wade and you got States
all over this country in my view just
humiliating women by taking away basic
rights so you know when we talk about
one of the issues of this campaign let's
be clear uh Biden has been very strong
on trying to protect uh a woman's right
to control her own body uh and Trump and
the Republicans have been absolutely
disastrous and I would hope people
perceive and understand that as we go
into the election I think what's
especially crazy too is that they're
making this decision uh on on the heels
of what was it 10 15 years ago uh
fearmongering about death death panels
in response to the ACA and they said you
couldn't possibly allow government to
get between a woman and her doctor
because they'll decide you know who
lives or dies and now you have
government in between a woman and a
doctor deciding who can get life-saving
medical treatment and who can't just
because you know theocrats want to to
kind of impose their religious will onto
people who don't want it I mean that's
that's absolutely right and above and
beyond that look it is not Donald
Trump's decision or some you know
politician's decision to determine what
is best for a woman and her family
that's a decision between her and a
doctor in my view and of discussion you
know Trump does seem to get away with
being a moderate on this issue or
perceived as being a moderate on this
issue because of his background as this
New York Playboy who probably himself
paid for abortions despite his support
of the most Draconian abortion bans in
the history of this country what do you
say to people who give him a pass or or
write off his extremism on this issue
what I say is that Donald Trump has
boasted about appointing the three
Supreme Court Justices who helped
overturn roie way and set back women's
rights in a very in in the most
significant way that we have seen in
modern history so anybody a who believes
anything that Trump says I would
question anything he says uh but be
clearly this is a man who boasts about
overturning roie white similarly he
skates by on the issue of earned
benefits despite the fact that when he
was president his own budgets literally
cut Social Security Medicare and
Medicaid what would happen to those
programs that Americans have paid into
for their entire lives if Trump again
takes office well it's not just him it
is his Republican colleagues here in the
house and the
Senate um what they are floating are a
number of ideas uh to cut benefits and
their argument is that the uh Social
Security trust fund faces uh insolvency
well there is a way to deal with it
which is the proper way right now is I'm
sure you know
Brian uh if you make
uh60 more or less I think
$165,000 a year okay your Cas I make $16
million year guess what we both both pay
the same amount of money into the Social
Security trust fund that's absurd so at
a time of massive income and wealth
inequality the tax system that funds
Social Security is totally regressive
you lift that cap you can expand the uh
benefits that many seniors get a lot of
seniors in this country are struggling
trying to get by in $1 15,000 $30,000 a
year which is really hard but if you
lift that cap you can extend the
solvency of social security for
75
years and the overwhelming majority of
the American people would not pay a
nickel more in taxes that's what we got
to do on the issue of seniors just as a
quick aside there's a guy named Eric Hy
and he's running against Tammy Baldwin
in Wisconsin in the Senate he said that
if you're in a nursing home you only
have five or six months life expectancy
and that nobody in a nursing home is at
a point to vote that was a direct quote
from him which I thought maybe uh
Senator Sanders we can chalk up to like
a gaff but then I found out that the
bank that he leads was named as a
codefendant in a California lawsuit that
accuses a senior living facility partly
owned by Hy's Bank of elder abuse
negligence and wrongful death so uh do
you think a guy like that is going to
protect earn benefits for seniors who
he's just decided to put on death row by
Fiat I mean you know some of the things
I mean one of the things I think that
concerns the American
people is
the growing
extremism of the Republican party I mean
there used to be years back kind of a
center right party there were strong
disagreements between the left and the
right but they have become a right-wing
extremist party so when you have a
candidate for the United States Senate
what implying that seniors and nursing
homes shouldn't be able to vote or what
was his point is that his point yeah
just that just that they're basically uh
like waiting to die that they've only
got a couple months left to live if
they're in a nursing home anyway and
they're not at a point to vote is what
he said I mean that is you know and
these are probably the same mentality as
young people are not at a point to vote
people of color are not at a point to
vote yeah I mean this is what we mean
you started this discussion off by
mentioning that this is the most
consequential election in our history
and I know people say oh I've heard it
again I've heard it before you say this
every election well this is what we're
talking about we are talking about a
party and I don't want to say it's true
of every Republican because it's not but
you are talking about a party which
increasingly does not believe in
democracy the right of all people
whether you're elderly whether you're 18
whether you're black whether you're
white whether you're Latino to fully
participate in the political process
this is a party which has a number of
people who look to Putin as an example
of what quote unquote democracy is about
uh so when we talk about this coming
election and while many people are not
enthusiastic about Joe Biden Joe Biden
does believe in democracy uh Trump in
many ways does not you know there's this
inity a scheme to that exact point
that's happening right now where
Republicans are looking to refuse to
fund our election infrastructure they're
looking to zero it out as a line item in
the Congressional budget for 2024 last
year there was 55 uh million allocated
what we actually need to be able to
properly fund our election
infrastructure is $400 million can is
there any anything that you can say
about about the the likelihood of our
election infrastructure being properly
funded in the upcoming budget so that we
don't uh have our whole system fail so
that our election Administration can go
off properly so that the the purveyors
of disinformation don't have a predicate
to point to a bungled election and say
look we told you it was rigged now we
just got to take it over ourselves and
do it the right way which of course is
going to include you know Banning
dropboxes voter suppression reduced uh
polling places on minority majority
precincts and on and on right uh I think
you hit the nail right on the head uh
and that's what Republicans do if you
don't fund something and running you
know elections in 50 states in this
country uh is not easy and the one thing
that you didn't mention in your list of
things that Republicans are attempting
to do is intimidate local election
officials you know I know in Vermont you
know you and all over the country you
have people who just volunteer you know
they volunteer to come and to count the
ballots and often you know Democrats and
Republicans sitting around they getting
along and what these people are doing