Bernie Sanders warned that the same wave of populism that gave rise to the Brexit movement could shape the outcome of the 2016 election, unless Democrats “wake up” and try to do something about it.
“The notion that Donald Trump could benefit from the same forces that gave the Leave proponents a majority in Britain should sound an alarm for the Democratic Party in the United States,” Sanders wrote in a New York Times op-ed on Wednesday. “Millions of American voters, like the Leave supporters, are understandably angry and frustrated by the economic forces that are destroying the middle class.”
The Democratic primary candidate noted that parts of his campaign message appealed to the economically frustrated in the United States, and the Democratic nominee should address these frustrations in order to prevent a Brexit-like outcome. He argued that the next president must support international cooperation, create new jobs, reject free trade and racism, and cut military spending.
“In this pivotal moment, the Democratic Party and a new Democratic president need to make clear that we stand with those who are struggling and who have been left behind,” Sanders wrote. “We must create national and global economies that work for all, not just a handful of billionaires.”
Although Sanders says he is still a candidate for president and regularly holds campaign events, he has said he will work with Hillary Clinton to help defeat Trump, and would vote for her in November. At this point, the Vermont senator hopes to use his influence on the campaign trail to shape Clinton’s policy positions and rally his supporters to continue his “political revolution.”
