Describing Donald Trump as “the most dangerous president perhaps in American history,” Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders told Stephen Colbert on Thursday that the United States is becoming an authoritarian state.
Sanders said Trump’s attacks on universities, law firms, and the media – he’s currently suing CBS’ parent company, Paramount, and also the Des Moines Register – is tyrannical behavior and should not go unchecked.
“This is what authoritarianism is about,” said the two-time Democratic presidential candidate. “To give in to Trump is to allow him now to say, ‘I gotcha… and anybody who speaks up against me, you’re in trouble.’”
Sanders, who recently barnstormed through red states with fellow progressive Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (they called it the “Fighting Oligarchy” tour), said Republicans are determined to stick it to regular folks in order to give ultra-rich Americans a giant tax break. He cited dramatic proposed cuts to Medicaid, education, cancer research, and nutrition programs for needy kids as proof that “what you’ve got now is a government of the billionaires, by the billionaires, and for the billionaires.”
Asked if he agrees with Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, who has called on Americans to undertake “mass protests” to oppose Trump’s agenda, Sanders said yes.
“We have got to use all of the tools that we can in Congress and out on the streets,” he said. “You’ve got to act in an unprecedented way because this is an unprecedented moment. If you sit back and do nothing, [Republicans] will take it all. They will take the power. They will take the wealth.”
Viewers feeling demoralized by Sanders’ remarks may have been buoyed by Thursday’s musical guest on “The Late Show.” Pavement, the indie band that is the focus of a bewildering new documentary by Lance Bangs, reconvened to perform their song, “Harness Your Hopes.” (Though not one of their best-known songs, ““Harness Your Hopes” is, oddly, the band’s most streamed song on Spotify.) Enjoy.
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