A Call to Action

Speaking to an enthusiastic crowd at the Coachella festival, Sanders urged attendees to take an active role in shaping their future. “The country faces some very difficult challenges, and the future of what happens to America is dependent upon your generation,” he declared, emphasizing the importance of standing up for justice in its many forms—economic, social, and racial.

His message resonated as he called for resistance against the fossil fuel industry, urging attendees to confront climate change with urgency. “You and I are going to have to stand up to the fossil fuel industry and tell them to stop destroying this planet,” he asserted.

Critique of the Current Administration

During his address, Sanders also took a moment to criticize President Donald Trump’s stance on climate change, reiterating that Trump’s beliefs are “dangerously wrong.” His comments were met with a chorus of boos from the audience, indicating a shared sentiment against the current administration’s policies.

Sanders reaffirmed his commitment to fighting for women’s rights, prioritizing the working class over billionaires, and advocating for universal healthcare, all central themes of his campaign.

Record-Breaking Attendance and Ongoing Tour

Following a rally in Los Angeles’s Gloria Molina Grand Park, Sanders announced that he and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez had drawn a record crowd of 36,000 attendees, breaking previous attendance figures set during earlier events. “Your presence here today is making Donald Trump and Elon Musk very nervous,” he remarked, invigorating the crowd further.

Sanders stressed that their tour aims to address the influence of billionaires over American governance, stating, “We’re living in a moment where a handful of billionaires control the economic and political life.” He reaffirmed, “And, Mr. Trump, we ain’t going down.”

The Influence of Corporate Interests

Accompanying Sanders, Ocasio-Cortez criticized Trump’s recent tariff policies, suggesting they were more about market manipulation than genuine economic improvement. She highlighted concerns over potential insider trading linked to these policies, stating, “It was about manipulating the markets,” implying that Trump’s actions may serve personal financial interests over public benefit.

Ocasio-Cortez also called into question the ethics of congressional members trading stocks while holding sway over policies that impact those industries, asserting, “How can anyone possibly make an objective vote on healthcare, energy, or war when their personal money is tied up in pharmaceutical, oil and gas, or defense company stock?”

Inspiration Among Attendees

The event left many attendees feeling inspired and hopeful. “It’s been despair every day,” stated Tracy Setto, a participant from Palmdale. “Being around all these people and hearing these messages is helpful right now.” Another attendee, David Rasmussen, encapsulated the sentiment: “We’ve all got to rise up together, fight it, push it back, make something else happen because this cannot go on.”

Looking Ahead: The Tour Continues

As the tour progresses, Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez are set to visit several cities across the Western United States, including Salt Lake City, Nampa, Bakersfield, Folsom, and Missoula. “The American people, whether they are Democrats, Republicans, or Independents, do not want billionaires to control our government or buy our elections,” Sanders concluded. “When we are organized and fight back, we can defeat oligarchy.”