'How Crazy Is That,' Says Bernie Sanders, Condemning Trump For 'Ignoring' Working Families' Issues In His Inauguration Speech
'How Crazy Is That,' Says Bernie Sanders, Condemning Trump For 'Ignoring' Working Families' Issues In His Inauguration Speech
Adrian Volenik
5 min read
Sen. Bernie Sanders pulled no punches when critiquing Donald Trump’s recent inaugural address, calling out the former president for failing to address key issues affecting working families in America. In a video posted after the event, Sanders expressed his frustration with Trump’s speech, saying it ignored the real challenges millions of Americans face every day, adding, “How crazy is that?”
“I was at the Trump inauguration yesterday and needless to say, I disagree with much of what he had to say. But what really struck me, however, is not what he said, which was not surprising given his rhetoric, but what he didn't say,” Sanders stated.
Don't Miss:
Are you rich? Here’s what Americans think you need to be considered wealthy.
Sanders: Trump Ignored Healthcare, Housing and Inequality
One of Sanders’ main points of contention was Trump's complete omission of the health care crisis. Sanders emphasized that millions of Americans struggle to afford basic medical care while prescription drug prices remain astronomically high.
“Our health care system is broken, is dysfunctional and it's wildly expensive,” he said. “Not one word from Trump about how he is going to address the health care crisis. We pay by far the highest prices in the world for prescription drugs, sometimes 10 times more than the people in other countries. Not one word in his speech on the high cost of prescription drugs.”
Sanders also highlighted the growing housing crisis in America, where millions are either homeless or spending the majority of their income just to keep a roof over their heads. “We have a major housing crisis in America. Everybody knows it. And Trump, in his inaugural address, did not devote one word to it,” Sanders pointed out.
However, Trump did mention in his speech that he would direct all members of his cabinet to “marshal the vast powers at their disposal to defeat what was record inflation and rapidly bring down costs and prices.” He also mentioned that the inflation crisis was “caused by massive overspending and escalating energy prices,” and that’s why he would “also declare a national energy emergency.”
According to Sanders, another glaring omission was any mention of income inequality. He noted that the wealthiest three Americans now hold more wealth than the bottom half of the population combined. “The wealthiest three people in America now own more wealth than the bottom half of our society.”
Sanders took particular issue with the fact that these three billionaires saw their wealth grow by $233 billion since the November elections. “No wonder they were sitting right behind Donald Trump at his inauguration. They couldn't be happier,” he added.
Sanders also criticized Trump for ignoring the climate crisis, despite the worsening impact of extreme weather events worldwide. “Trump did not have one word to say about how we're going to address the planetary crisis of climate change. The last 10 years have been the warmest years ever recorded,” Sanders said, "except, of course, to make it clear that he intends to make this horrific situation even worse with drill, baby, drill. Just brilliant."
Sanders urged Americans to remain focused on the issues that truly matter to working families, including health care, affordable housing, climate change and income inequality. “Our job is to stay focused on the issues that are of importance to the working families of our country and in fact are widely supported by the American people,” he said.
He reiterated his long-standing policy proposals, including Medicare for All, lowering prescription drug costs, building affordable housing, and raising the federal minimum wage to $17 an hour. “Anybody who works 40 hours a week in this country should not be living in poverty,” Sanders stated firmly.
Sanders ended his remarks with a rallying cry for action, emphasizing the need for unity and grassroots organizing to counter Trump's agenda. “We cannot panic. No matter how many executive orders he signs and no matter how many absurd statements he makes, our goal remains the same. We have got to educate, we have got to organize, and we've got to put pressure on Congress to do the right things,” he said.
UNLOCKED: 5 NEW TRADES EVERY WEEK. Click now to get top trade ideas daily, plus unlimited access to cutting-edge tools and strategies to gain an edge in the markets.
