Bernie Sanders admits Democrats failed working-class voters on economics, driving them to Donald Trump
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez also defended Sanders' approach to working-class issues
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., acknowledged on Saturday that Democrats failed working-class Americans economically, contributing to voters abandoning the party for President Donald Trump.
When asked during an interview on MS NOW what exactly Democrats had done wrong to lose working-class voters to Trump, Sanders pointed to the party's economic record, arguing that its failure to address their financial struggles had contributed to declining support.
"What I think what Trump did, again — this gets back to my view — that the Democratic Party failed working-class people on economic issues," Sanders said.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"I think they have a lot to be proud of in terms of fighting for civil rights, for women's rights, for gay rights, for environmental stuff, but in terms of working-class issues, no, I don't think they've done a good job," he added.
The Vermont senator pointed to trade deals that cost millions of manufacturing jobs as a key reason for voter disillusionment (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
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Sanders, an independent, pointed to unfulfilled economic promises and trade agreements he blamed for the loss of American manufacturing jobs as reasons working-class voters became disillusioned with the party.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"What they did is for years, they heard the Democrats say, 'Oh, we're going to do this, we're going to do that, and we're going to help you.' And they didn't. And it's true. Democrats pushed through terrible trade deals, which cost us millions of good-paying manufacturing jobs, et cetera, et cetera. They lost faith in the Democratic Party, and not unjustifiably. All right?" Sanders said.
When reached for comment by Fox News Digital, Republican National Committee national press secretary Natalie Baldassarre criticized Democrats' economic policies and argued that the party had abandoned working families.
Republican National Committee spokesperson Natalie Baldassarre criticized Democrats' economic record in a statement to Fox News Digital, accusing the party of abandoning working families in favor of its far-left base. (Remy Numa/Fox News)
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"Democrats can no longer claim to be the working class party when they hammer Americans with higher taxes, ship jobs overseas, and kill off the industries that make our country thrive. Democrats' only interest is appeasing their far-left base that wants to destroy our country from the inside out, and working families pay the price."
A 2024 Fox News Voter Analysis found that Trump defeated former Vice President Kamala Harris 53% to 45% among voters with household incomes between $50,000 and $99,999. Harris carried voters earning $100,000 or more by 53% to 46%.
Trump also won voters who reported falling behind financially by 29 percentage points, while around 40% of voters identified inflation as the most important factor in their vote, a group that backed Trump by nearly a two-to-one margin.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}This isn't the first time Sanders has called out the Democratic Party for abandoning the working class.
Following Trump's 2024 presidential victory, Sanders excoriated the Democratic Party.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez defended Sanders' working-class economic agenda during an MS NOW interview, arguing that growing inequality had increased support for progressive policies across party lines. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"It should come as no great surprise that a Democratic Party which has abandoned working-class people would find that the working class has abandoned them. First, it was the white working class, and now it is Latino and Black workers as well," Sanders said in the statement.
"While the Democratic leadership defends the status quo, the American people are angry and want change. And they're right," he continued.
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Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who also appeared in the special, emphasized the growing importance of economic class in American politics and defended Sanders' approach to working-class issues.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"As the gap between the rich and the working class get bigger and bigger, and as the middle class, or our understanding of the middle class, starts to really disappear in this country, and more and more people that had previously felt okay find themselves more squeezed than ever," she said. "I think that this has allowed the salience of class to really emerge in our politics."
"A lot of what Bernie's been talking about forever, where I come from as well, in really forcefully taking on the corruption of corporate lobbying and fighting for working class issues, these issues have started to gain ground with more and more everyday Americans across party lines as well."