Sanders Says Democrats Forsake Working Class After Harris Defeat

Sen. Bernie Sanders accused Democratic leaders of neglecting working-class concerns, arguing that the party has “turned its back on what was its base.” In a series of interviews on 10 August, the Vermont independent said Democrats’ failure to address bread-and-butter issues helped propel Republican gains in traditionally blue strongholds such as West Virginia. Sanders also pointed to Vice President Kamala Harris’s recent electoral loss, contending that her campaign relied too heavily on advice from billionaires who discouraged a stronger populist message. He dismissed speculation that Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance could inherit former President Donald Trump’s mantle, saying neither Vance nor current Republican leaders offer substantive solutions for working Americans. Calling the U.S. political system “broken and corrupt,” Sanders urged both major parties to refocus on wages, health care and economic inequality rather than cultural divisions that, in his view, mainly serve wealthy donors.