The Big Lie
Bernie Sanders
We are living in a pivotal moment in our country's history. And how we respond to this moment will impact not only our lives, but the lives of our kids and grandchildren.
As you heard last night, President Trump has been very effective in creating a parallel universe. A set of ideas that either have no basis in reality, or are nowhere near the most important concerns of the American people.
He does it through the concept of the BIG LIE, and boy did we hear that last night. He says something that is grossly false, says it over and over again, and has right-wing social media blast it out endless times until people believe it.
The purpose of all of these lies is not just to push his hateful right-wing ideology. It is a masterful effort to deflect attention away from the most important issues facing the people of this country — issues Trump and his billionaire friends do not want to address because it is not in their financial interests to do so.
Trump spoke for almost 100 minutes and he almost completely ignored the issues keeping working people up at night as they worry about how their families are going to survive during these tough times.
100 minutes and he did not have one word to say about the economic realities facing 60 percent of Americans who are living paycheck to paycheck.
100 minutes and not one word to say about our broken, dysfunctional and expensive health care system that has left 80 million Americans uninsured or underinsured or why we pay by far the highest prices in the world for prescription drugs and 1 out of 4 Americans are unable to afford the medicine their doctors prescribe.
100 minutes and not one word to say about the major housing crisis in America that has left 800,000 Americans who are homeless and the millions who spend more than half of their limited income on housing.
100 minutes and not one word to say about the massive income and wealthy inequality that has 3 Americans owning more wealth than the bottom half of our society.
100 minutes and not one word about a corrupt campaign finance system that allows a handful of billionaires to buy elections.
100 minutes and not one word to say about the fact that our life expectancy is 4 years lower than other wealthy countries, and the bottom 50 percent of this country live on average 7 years shorter life than the top 1 percent. In other words, being poor in this country is a death sentence.
100 minutes and not one word to say how we are going to address the planetary crisis of climate change.
And the reason he had very little to say about the crises working families are facing is because he has no plan or desire to address them. Despite some of his rhetoric, Trump and his billionaire friends could not care any less about the concerns of the working people of this country.
He did urge Congress to pass his big beautiful budget...
But he left out the part that that budget would cut Medicaid by $880 billion.
According to one estimate, it means up to 36 million Americans including millions of children would be thrown off the health care they gave. Think about it — we're talking about people who own their own spaceships who are trying to take away health care from millions of kids. It's a disgrace.
A 100 minute speech, not one word about that.
I guess he forgot...
Friends, let me be direct:
At this particular moment in history, despair is not an option. None of us have the privilege of hiding under the covers. Let us never forget that real change only happens when ordinary people stand up — by the millions — against oppression and injustice.
I am going to do my part, and I need you with me.
We just had two large and successful rallies in Iowa and Nebraska recently. Thousands of people turned out.
This weekend, I'll be going to Michigan and Wisconsin where thousands more have already RSVP'd to attend those events.
But that is not all. I'm going to continue running around the country talking to people about what Donald Trump is trying to do — and to talk about our vision for an agenda that works for the many and not just the few.
We can win. We will win. But only if we go forward together.
In solidarity,
Bernie Sanders
