Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders stated Wednesday that Vice President Kamala Harris lost to President-elect Donald Trump due to the Democratic Party’s neglect of working-class voters.
In a statement posted on X (formerly Twitter), Sanders blamed the Democrats for Harris’ defeat. The recently re-elected Vermont senator criticized Democratic leaders for preserving the status quo as diverse groups, including white, Latino, and Black workers, grow increasingly frustrated and call for change.
“It should come as no great surprise that a Democratic Party which has abandoned working class people would find that the working class has abandoned them,” Sanders said. “First, it was the white working class, and now it is Latino and Black workers as well. While the Democratic leadership defends the status quo, the American people are angry and want change. And they’re right.”
Sanders voiced doubt about the party’s readiness to change direction or confront the influence of big money and high-paid consultants who shape its strategy.
“Will the big money interests and well-paid consultants who control the Democratic Party learn any real lessons from this disastrous campaign?” Sanders continued. “Will they understand the pain and political alienation that tens of millions of Americans are experiencing? Do they have any ideas as to how we can take on the increasingly powerful Oligarchy which has so much economic and political power? Probably not.”
Sanders, who has twice run unsuccessfully in the Democratic presidential primaries, hinted at upcoming discussions to tackle these issues, concluding with, “Stay tuned.”
According to Reuters, Trump increased his support among voters without college degrees, winning 56%—a 6-point gain from 2020. Harris won 55% of college-educated voters, matching Biden’s performance in 2020.
Trump also retained strong backing from working-class white voters, with a slight 1-point drop from 2020, securing 66%. Additionally, he improved his share by 8 points among non-white voters without college degrees.
