Senator Bernie Sanders Calls for End to ’Oligarchy’ in US Elections

By Staff, Agencies

In a post on X, US Senator Bernie Sanders referred to the overwhelming influence of billionaires in US elections as "what oligarchy looks like," emphasizing the significant role the 2010 Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission Supreme Court decision played in transforming the political landscape. 

Sanders pointed to the staggering 16,000% increase in election spending by billionaires since the controversial ruling.

His comments bring to light concerns over the increasing role money plays in shaping electoral outcomes.

Sanders wants to overturn "Citizens United", a 2010 ruling that allowed unlimited money in politics.

Sanders' X post shows that election spending in 2024 was more than double that of 2020, increasing exponentially since the 2010 ruling. 

According to The Associated Press (AP) Sanders' team intentionally waited in the early weeks of the Trump presidency to launch what they are now calling his “stop oligarchy tour” to see if a high-profile Democrat would fill the leadership void. 

Last month, Sanders said, “What all of this tells me, is not just in Michigan or in Vermont, the people of this country will not allow us to move toward oligarchy.

“This is like presidential campaign rallies, isn’t it? But I’m not running for president, and this is not a campaign,” Sanders said. “You gotta do what you gotta do. The country’s in trouble and I want to play my role.”

The Democratic Party’s left wing has warned for decades that America is moving toward an oligarchy in which a handful of billionaires control much of the nation’s wealth and political power. Former President Joe Bidon made a similar warning last month in his last address to the nation. 

An oligarchy is an elite few who control the government’s actions. 

The increasing involvement of billionaires in politics has raised concerns about the concentration of power in the hands of a few wealthy individuals and the potential for this wealth to drown out the voices of ordinary citizens.