Bernie Sanders compares Trump, Musk and other 'oligarchs' to 'heroin addicts,' says drug of choice is 'greed'

Senator Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., criticized President Donald Trump and Tesla CEO Elon Musk for undermining democracy, calling them part of a dangerous class of billionaire “oligarchs” driven by greed. Sanders made these remarks at a “Fight The Oligarchy” rally in Nampa, Idaho on Monday night, where he and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., addressed an energetic crowd and targeted Trump and Musk for their influence over politics and society.

Sanders, speaking to the raucous crowd, explained that his concerns about oligarchy are now clearer than ever. “I used to talk about oligarchy, and people would ask, what is he talking about? But tonight, everyone knows what I'm talking about,” Sanders said, referencing the 2017 inauguration of President Trump, where the three wealthiest people in America—Musk, Bezos, and Zuckerberg—were seated right behind the president.

“These oligarchs have a major, major addiction problem,” Sanders added. “And you know what it is? It is greed. They're like heroin addicts. They can't control themselves. They need more and more, and they don’t care who they step over to get another billion dollars.” Sanders vowed to address the greed driving these billionaires, referring to them as "addicts."

Both Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez noted that these billionaire figures could come from both political parties—Democrats and Republicans—but the focus of the rally was clearly directed at Trump’s network of billionaires. “All of this is what it feels like to be governed by billionaires. This is what oligarchy feels like,” Ocasio-Cortez stated, adding that the current concentration of wealth, power, and corruption represents a clear example of American oligarchy.

The two politicians also highlighted the influence of billionaires at Trump’s inauguration, pointing to Musk, Bezos, and Zuckerberg sitting behind the president. Sanders also referenced the 13 billionaires Trump nominated to his cabinet, underscoring the connection between wealth and power in his administration.

Both Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez used the rally as an opportunity to call for action, urging the crowd to take a stand for democracy. “It will never be just institutions and politicians alone that uphold our democracy. It will always be the people, the masses, who refuse to comply with authoritarian regimes,” Ocasio-Cortez said, emphasizing that it is up to everyday citizens to defend freedom.

“We are here today because we choose democracy, we choose freedom, we choose justice. And that means we must choose to out-organize the oligarchy,” she added, calling for an end to the power of big money in politics.

This article was reported by journalist Angelia.