Bernie Sanders’ message of resistance finds fresh life as Democratic Party searches for direction

As Democrats have scrambled in recent months to energize a deflated Democratic Party and counter President Donald Trump’s power shift in Washington, Bernie Sanders has emerged as a leading voice of the resistance with a familiar refrain.

As Democrats have scrambled in recent months to energize a deflated Democratic Party and counter President Donald Trump’s power shift in Washington, Bernie Sanders has emerged as a leading voice of the resistance with a familiar refrain. The independent senator from Vermont is no stranger to Democrats, having twice sought the party’s presidential nomination. But at a moment when the Democratic base is demanding leaders push back more forcefully on the actions of the Trump administration, the movement that fueled Sanders’ insurgent bids in 2016 and 2020 has taken on a new political life. With the Democratic brand underwater, it has been Sanders – one of the most recognizable faces of the progressive movement – who has drawn thousands of supporters to rallies across the country with his longtime warnings against the “billionaire class.” Sanders was joined by New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez at recent events, where the pair protested Trump, his Department of Government Efficiency led by billionaire Tesla CEO Elon Musk and what Sanders has described as rising authoritarianism under the current administration. The Vermont senator’s “Fighting Oligarchy” tour, which will travel to California, Utah and Idaho later this month, comes as Washington Democrats have struggled to satisfy their supporters’ calls to push back on the Trump administration and congressional Republicans. Democrats’ social media campaign and protests during Trump’s joint address to Congress last month largely fell flat, and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer has drawn calls from some grassroots leaders (and a handful of House Democrats) to step down after he helped pave the way for a Republican-led funding bill that kept the government open. That Sanders – a self-described democratic socialist who has never been a Democrat – has once again emerged as a leader of the anti-Trump opposition speaks to some of the branding challenges facing the Democratic Party, whose approval ratings as a party have been underwater. The Vermont senator told the New York Times last month that one of the goals of his tour was to encourage people to run for office – as independents. His rallies have also coincided with the resurgence of the Democratic “resistance” that existed during Trump’s first term. Democrats won a high-profile state Supreme Court race in Wisconsin and cut Republicans margins in half in special elections for two US House seats in Florida. Angry voters have appeared at town halls held by members of both parties demanding that lawmakers serve as a check on the president. More than 600,000 people RSVP’d to attend 1,400 “Hand’s Off!” rallies around the country last weekend to protest Trump, Musk and DOGE.