Bernie Sanders (I-VT) has a warning for workers across America: If Elon Musk can fire hundreds of thousands of federal employees without cause, private sector workers could be next.
In a recent post on X, Sanders put it bluntly: “Today, it’s federal workers. Tomorrow, it’s *your* job. That’s what oligarchy is about.”
Sanders has long criticized the growing influence of billionaires in politics and the economy, but he says Musk has made it clearer than ever. In an interview with Brian Tyler Cohen, Sanders argued that Musk’s power goes beyond business—he’s now shaping government itself.
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“Everybody has got to understand this is the wealthiest guy in the world right now, worth over $400 billion,” Sanders said. “Musk put over $270 million into Trump’s campaign and guess what? He’s now the most important person in government. What does that sound like to you? Does that sound like a democracy… or is it really an oligarchy doing the bidding of the very richest people?”
Sanders pointed to Trump’s budget priorities, which include massive tax cuts for the wealthy while slashing programs like Medicaid, student aid, and other critical support for working families. He sees it as part of a larger strategy where billionaires get richer while everyday Americans struggle.
“The end goal of oligarchy is to make the richest people who are already phenomenally rich even richer,” Sanders explained. “How do you do that? You give them massive tax breaks. And where do you get the money? You cut programs that working people need.”
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Musk’s influence extends far beyond government decisions. Sanders argues that billionaires like Musk, Jeff Bezos, and Mark Zuckerberg control not just politics but also the media landscape. “They will use their enormous media operations they own to deflect attention away from the impact of their policies while they entertain us to death,” Sanders said in a video posted on X.
And for those who think these billionaires care about workers? Sanders doesn’t buy it. “Do you think for one second that the oligarchs give a damn about working people? Trust me, they don’t.”
