By Branko Marcetic
NEW YORK: Four years ago, Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) was in Cedar Rapids promoting the advantages of Joe Biden’s ambitious Build Back Better initiative to a modest crowd of Iowans, most of whom were represented by Republican legislators unlikely to support such legislation. This past weekend, Sanders returned to Iowa, this time in Iowa City just twenty-seven miles away, to discuss the challenges ahead under a potential second Trump presidency. The turnout was so large that he had to deliver a second speech to accommodate an overflow crowd at a different venue.
“I’ve given numerous speeches throughout my career,” he remarked as he took the stage. “This is the first time I’ve had to do one right after another because we couldn’t fit everyone into the initial venue.”
Sanders’s visit is part of what he describes as a nationwide tour, focused particularly on conservative regions, aimed at mobilizing opposition to Donald Trump’s agenda. Just the night before, thousands gathered in Omaha, Nebraska, and many were turned away due to insufficient space to host the crowd. On Saturday morning, more people braved the chilly Iowa winter to hear from the senator.
“It’s refreshing to listen to him,” shared Jai, 44, who traveled from Fairfield. “It’s been a stressful month, and a motivational speech from Bernie is just what we need.”
Attendees received just that. Sanders combined his sharp critiques of the U.S. oligarchy with concerns about the ongoing efforts of the Trump administration to dismantle federal services, highlighting the collaboration between the White House and billionaires like Elon Musk, the richest person in the world and the largest donor for the 2024 election, to facilitate mass federal layoffs and deregulate corporations.
“To understand who is running the U.S. government, look no further than Trump’s inauguration,” he asserted, pointing out that the three richest men in America—Musk, Jeff Bezos, and Mark Zuckerberg—were present directly behind Trump, along with thirteen “junior billionaires” tasked with managing federal agencies.
Sanders also sought to inspire a crowd that had expressed feelings of confusion, concern, and even the need to disengage from the news for some relief. Drawing on historical references, he emphasized that “making a significant change is never simple,” declared that “the time to act is now,” and reiterated that the history of the United States is marked by achievements once deemed impossible, made possible through the efforts of ordinary citizens—whether it was expanding voting rights, abolishing slavery, or achieving independence from Great Britain (“an autocrat”).
“Trumpism will not be defeated by politicians who operate inside the Beltway,” he stated.
The presence of the overflow crowd highlighted the widespread dissatisfaction with the Democratic Party, reflected in polls and numerous complaints directed at congressional representatives. Voters expressed frustration over the lack of leadership and opposition to Trump from Democratic officials and a yearning for some direction. Many attendees spoke to Jacobin at Sanders’s Iowa event about their disappointment with how Democrats responded to Trump’s initial month in office.
“What response?” questioned Steven, 44, from Fairfield.
“It’s been feeble,” remarked Cole, 24, from Iowa City.
“Hakeem Jeffries is ineffective,” said Jim, 62, who traveled from the Chicago suburbs, critiquing the House Democratic leader’s stance. “He claims, ‘we can’t do anything.’ It’s embarrassing.”
Currently, Republicans in Congress, alongside Trump, are working on a reconciliation bill that Sanders dubbed “the Robin Hood principle in reverse,” which would give the wealthy $1 trillion in tax cuts while severely cutting programs essential for working people. With only a three-person majority in the House, he noted that if just two Republicans vote against it, the bill would fail. Sanders encouraged constituents to engage with their representatives, particularly those in districts where he spoke.
“I’m in the Senate; it does matter,” Sanders emphasized. While lawmakers are often preoccupied with the interests of their donors, he insisted, “it’s your role to make them concerned about you.”
There are indications that some vulnerable Republicans, representing districts with significant populations relying on programs like Medicaid, are beginning to feel pressure from their constituents regarding proposed cuts. Trump has even resorted to making false claims, asserting that Medicaid would not be “touched,” and previously had to retract his broad halt on federal grants after backlash over the resulting disruptions to Medicaid services.
For Sanders, this grassroots campaign aimed at countering Trump’s agenda is a part of a longstanding American tradition. Toward the end of his speech, he and the audience recited the Gettysburg Address, emphasizing the need to preserve “government of the people, by the people, for the people,” and underscoring the importance of opposing a “government of the billionaire class, by the billionaire class, for the billionaire class.”
“That is the essence of this struggle — one hundred and fifty years later, and we’re in the same fight,” he affirmed.
Interestingly, there were signs that support for this struggle may come from a different demographic than the ones Sanders appealed to during his initial presidential campaign a decade ago. The crowd on Saturday was predominantly liberal, energetically cheering Sanders’s discussions on women’s reproductive rights while expressing discontent with Trump’s cuts to the U.S. Agency for International Development and his actions against Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Jai mentioned to Jacobin that many of his friends in Fairfield, who were initially drawn to Sanders, are now strong Trump supporters. Otis, an 81-year-old former union worker who has lived in Iowa for many years, noted that many young people he knows have also shifted their allegiance to Trump.
Nevertheless, for some attendees, Sanders’s address seemed to achieve its goal.
“I used to be complacent and disengaged,” said Audrey, 27, who traveled over an hour from Wapello to see Sanders for the third time. The speech provided her with the specific direction she had been seeking.
For others, like Erin, who came looking for hope, simply being among hundreds sharing the same sentiments brought comfort: “I felt isolated, but now it doesn’t feel that way anymore.” (IPA Service)
Courtesy: Jacobin
