Bernie Sanders Says Kamala Harris Campaign Was Controlled by Wealthy Donors

Senator Bernie Sanders is taking aim at former Vice President Kamala Harris’ failed 2024 campaign, saying it was “heavily influenced by very wealthy people” and failed to resonate with America’s working families.

Speaking on CNN’s State of the Union, Sanders stood by remarks he made on his “Fighting Oligarchy” tour, where he told supporters that one of the reasons Harris lost was because “she had too many billionaires telling her not to speak up for the working-class of this country.”

“I like her, she’s a friend,” Sanders said, “but her core consultants were heavily influenced by very wealthy people. How do you run for president and not develop a strong agenda which speaks to the economic crises facing working families?”

Sanders pointed to glaring issues he says Democrats must address head-on:

• 60% of Americans live paycheck to paycheck, yet corporate profits are hitting record highs.

• The U.S. remains the only major country without guaranteed healthcare, despite spending more per capita than any other nation.

• College costs continue to soar, locking out lower-income students from higher education.

Harris, he argued, only addressed affordability in vague terms, avoiding the kind of direct confrontation with economic elites that Sanders believes is necessary for Democrats to win.

“I think the clue to Democratic victories is to understand that you’ve got to stand unequivocally with the working class of this country,” Sanders said. “You need an agenda that speaks to the needs of working people.”

The Vermont senator renewed his calls for guaranteed healthcare for all, a higher minimum wage, and universal access to higher education policies he says are standard in other developed nations but blocked in the U.S. by “the power of the oligarchs, economically and politically.” He described America’s political system as “broken and corrupt,” blaming the outsized influence of wealthy donors for preventing meaningful reform.

When asked if he would run for president in 2028, Sanders laughed off the idea, noting he would be 84 by then. “What’s more important right now is rallying the grassroots of America,” he said, pushing for the most progressive candidate possible in the next cycle.

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