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In a fiery speech that served as a closing argument ahead of the midterm elections, Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) launched a scathing attack on President Donald Trump, calling him “the most dangerous president in the history of the United States.” Sanders made the remarks during a virtual town hall on Wednesday, where he urged supporters to mobilize and vote to end Republican control of Congress, which he described as a “rubber stamp” for the president’s agenda. The speech, which was streamed to thousands of viewers, touched on a wide range of issues, from healthcare and climate change to income inequality and the rise of artificial intelligence, painting a dire picture of the country under Trump’s leadership.

“A Pathological Liar and a Narcissist”

Sanders did not mince words when describing the president’s character. “This is a guy who does not believe in the Constitution or the rule of law,” he said. “He is a pathological liar. He is a narcissist and he is running the most corrupt administration in American history.” The senator’s comments echo criticisms he has made throughout Trump’s tenure, but the directness and intensity of his language underscored the high stakes he sees in the upcoming election. Sanders argued that Trump’s disregard for democratic norms and his self-serving behavior pose a fundamental threat to the nation’s institutions.

Healthcare and Tax Policy: A “Disastrous” Record

Sanders cited Trump’s healthcare policies as a prime example of how the administration favors the wealthy over working families. He claimed that Trump’s “big, beautiful bill” threw 15 million Americans off their health insurance in order to provide a trillion dollars in tax breaks to the top 1%. “The only way we reverse that disastrous policy, which by the way is going to result in the deaths of thousands and thousands of Americans, is to end Republican control over the Congress,” Sanders said. He also criticized the administration’s approach to climate change, accusing Trump of believing it is a hoax perpetrated by China while designing policies to boost fossil fuel profits at the expense of the environment.

Immigration, AI, and the “Domestic Army”

The senator took aim at Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), which he described as “out of control” and having “killed innocent Americans” and “terrorized communities.” He called for comprehensive immigration reform with a path to citizenship, again stressing that Republican control of Congress stands in the way. On technology, Sanders warned that Trump’s alliance with “big tech oligarchs” would lead to unregulated artificial intelligence that could harm workers and democracy. “If you think we should have significant guardrails protecting the American people from AI, the only way we’re going to do that is to end Republican control over the Congress,” he said.

The Broader Crisis: Inequality and Oligarchy

Beyond Trump, Sanders painted a grim picture of American society, citing unprecedented income and wealth inequality, a corrupt campaign finance system, a dysfunctional healthcare system, and rising bigotry. He noted that the top 1% now owns more wealth than the bottom 93% of Americans, and that 60% of people live paycheck to paycheck. “Never before in American history have so few people owned so much wealth and had so much power,” he said. He also pointed to the influence of billionaires like Elon Musk, who he said is spending $400 million to keep Republicans in power, and criticized super PACs funded by crypto and AI interests.

Republicans: “Beyond Pathetic”

Sanders reserved particular scorn for the Republican response to these crises. “The Republican response is beyond pathetic,” he said. He accused the GOP of trying to buy elections with massive spending and of resorting to racist attacks, citing the campaigns against Congresswoman Ilhan Omar and Dr. Abdul El-Sayed in Michigan. “They are going racist big time,” he said, referring to Islamophobic smears against Muslim candidates.

A Progressive Agenda for Working Families

Despite the dark outlook, Sanders offered a hopeful vision, pointing to progressive candidates running strong grassroots campaigns across the country. He argued that their success stems from talking about the real issues affecting working families. He then outlined a bold agenda for Democrats to adopt if they win control of Congress, including:

  • Ending the corrupt campaign finance system and moving to one person, one vote.
  • Implementing a wealth tax on billionaires to fund 7 million units of affordable housing, free universal childcare, tuition-free public colleges, and a minimum $60,000 salary for public school teachers.
  • Enacting Medicare for All as a single-payer healthcare system.
  • Raising the minimum wage to $20 an hour and passing the PRO Act to strengthen unions.
  • Transitioning to sustainable energy to combat climate change and create good-paying jobs.
  • Expanding Social Security benefits by scrapping the cap on taxable income.
  • Pausing advanced AI development and banning superintelligence.
  • Cutting military spending and ending endless wars, including stopping funding for Israel’s government.

Sanders also quoted former Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis, who said in 1933, “We can have democracy in this country or we can have great wealth concentrated in the hands of a few, but we cannot have both.” He added that the choice is even more stark today.

Conclusion: A Call to Action

With less than two weeks until the midterms, Sanders urged supporters to work tirelessly to elect progressives and prevent Republicans from maintaining their “rubber stamp” Congress. He acknowledged the power of the oligarchs but expressed faith that a united people can overcome it. “If we stand together, we don’t let Trump and his friends try to divide us by the color of our skin or where we were born or our sexual orientation, we can take these greedy people on and we can defeat them,” he said. The speech was a rallying cry for the progressive base and a sharp reminder of the high stakes Sanders sees in the upcoming election.