Sen. Bernie Sanders gave a powerful speech during the No Kings parade in Washington, DC. He slammed Donald Trump and the billionaires he accused of hijacking not only the nation’s economy but also its political system.
His speech started by pointing out how the US was founded during authoritarian rule and the first president of the US, George Washington, termed it as “an experiment entrusted to the hands of the American people.”
Bernie Sanders called out the current president for endangering this experiment. Trump has deployed US troops and ICE agents across various states, threatening citizens’ well-being and causing chaos. He added that the problem is more than one man’s greed or one man’s corruption.
He stated, “This is about a handful of the wealthiest people on Earth who in their insatiable greed have hijacked our economy and our political system in order to enrich themselves at the expense of working families throughout this country.”
NEW – U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders at “No Kings” protest, calls out Musk, Bezos, Zuckerberg, and “other multi-billionaires” for the “incredible injustice of the top 1% in America, now owning more wealth than the bottom 93%.”
Why not call out Soros? Reid Hoffman? Michael… pic.twitter.com/vTQrbDm5uE
— The Dibster (@TheDibsterX) October 18, 2025
He went on to name Jeff Bezos, Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk, the most prominent multimillionaires who have supported Trump, pushing his political agendas with their money. These billionaires have funded his campaigns, given him gifts, and that has, in turn, given them a rise in wealth and power.
They invested in Trump’s political career — and their wealth has multiplied many times over since he became president. Bernie was also a part of the nationwide Fighting Oligarchy tour with rep Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, warning everyone against Trump. He has emphasized how these billionaires are flourishing alongside Trump.
Musk had donated $250 million for Trump’s political campaign, and Zuckerberg now supports Trump despite speaking against him during his first tenure. Bezos donated $1 million to Trump’s inaugural fund and also made a deal with Melania Trump for her documentary to be released on Amazon. Even Tim Cook presented Trump with a deal during his Oval Office visit.
Sanders also criticized Trump’s so-called “big, beautiful bill,” noting that it slashed Medicaid funding. On the other hand, billionaire Trump loyalists are pouring money into funding Trump’s agenda. Sander further added, “Start negotiating and do not allow the American health care system to be destroyed. End this shutdown.”
Amidst the government shutdown, the standoff between Republicans and Democrats over health care subsidies is still going on.
