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"Keep Showing Up": After Trump's Address, Sanders Urges Continued Resistance
In response to president's first speech to Congress, senator calls out things he failed to mention—from climate change to voting rights
Mar 01, 2017
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) recorded a response to President Donald Trump's first address to Congress on Tuesday night, breaking down the speech's biggest takeaways--or lack thereof--and calling on viewers to keep up the resistance.
"Sometimes, what is more important is what somebody does not say, as opposed to what they actually say," Sanders said in a Facebook live video recorded immediately after the speech. "Some examples: at a time when over half of older Americans have no retirement savings, I did not hear President Trump say one word, not one word, about Social Security or Medicare," despite it being a cornerstone of his election campaign.
"Furthermore," Sanders continued, "not only did President Trump not mention the issue of voter suppression, what Republican governors are doing all over this country to make it harder for people to participate in our democracy, but the truth of the matter is, his administration is now working overtime with Republican governors to make it harder for young people, low-income people, senior citizens, and people of color to vote."
He also slammed Trump's failure to mention climate change, mass incarceration, student debt, and the U.S. Supreme Court's Citizens United ruling, among other issues.
All this means people resisting the president's agenda will be crucial in the coming months, he said, praising those who have gotten involved with various efforts--such as packing town hall meetings and asking hard questions of their representatives--and urging those who have not yet joined to do so.
"Those of you who attended rallies or town hall meetings: Keep showing up, keep calling Congress, and continue to fight," he said. "If you haven't taken action yet, we need your voice. Only together when millions of people stand up for economic justice, for social justice, for racial justice, for environmental justice, only then can we create a political revolution that will turn this country around."
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Nadia Prupis
Nadia Prupis is a former Common Dreams staff writer. She wrote on media policy for Truthout.org and has been published in New America Media and AlterNet. She graduated from UC Santa Barbara with a BA in English in 2008.
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) recorded a response to President Donald Trump's first address to Congress on Tuesday night, breaking down the speech's biggest takeaways--or lack thereof--and calling on viewers to keep up the resistance.
"Sometimes, what is more important is what somebody does not say, as opposed to what they actually say," Sanders said in a Facebook live video recorded immediately after the speech. "Some examples: at a time when over half of older Americans have no retirement savings, I did not hear President Trump say one word, not one word, about Social Security or Medicare," despite it being a cornerstone of his election campaign.
"Furthermore," Sanders continued, "not only did President Trump not mention the issue of voter suppression, what Republican governors are doing all over this country to make it harder for people to participate in our democracy, but the truth of the matter is, his administration is now working overtime with Republican governors to make it harder for young people, low-income people, senior citizens, and people of color to vote."
He also slammed Trump's failure to mention climate change, mass incarceration, student debt, and the U.S. Supreme Court's Citizens United ruling, among other issues.
All this means people resisting the president's agenda will be crucial in the coming months, he said, praising those who have gotten involved with various efforts--such as packing town hall meetings and asking hard questions of their representatives--and urging those who have not yet joined to do so.
"Those of you who attended rallies or town hall meetings: Keep showing up, keep calling Congress, and continue to fight," he said. "If you haven't taken action yet, we need your voice. Only together when millions of people stand up for economic justice, for social justice, for racial justice, for environmental justice, only then can we create a political revolution that will turn this country around."
Nadia Prupis
Nadia Prupis is a former Common Dreams staff writer. She wrote on media policy for Truthout.org and has been published in New America Media and AlterNet. She graduated from UC Santa Barbara with a BA in English in 2008.
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) recorded a response to President Donald Trump's first address to Congress on Tuesday night, breaking down the speech's biggest takeaways--or lack thereof--and calling on viewers to keep up the resistance.
"Sometimes, what is more important is what somebody does not say, as opposed to what they actually say," Sanders said in a Facebook live video recorded immediately after the speech. "Some examples: at a time when over half of older Americans have no retirement savings, I did not hear President Trump say one word, not one word, about Social Security or Medicare," despite it being a cornerstone of his election campaign.
"Furthermore," Sanders continued, "not only did President Trump not mention the issue of voter suppression, what Republican governors are doing all over this country to make it harder for people to participate in our democracy, but the truth of the matter is, his administration is now working overtime with Republican governors to make it harder for young people, low-income people, senior citizens, and people of color to vote."
He also slammed Trump's failure to mention climate change, mass incarceration, student debt, and the U.S. Supreme Court's Citizens United ruling, among other issues.
All this means people resisting the president's agenda will be crucial in the coming months, he said, praising those who have gotten involved with various efforts--such as packing town hall meetings and asking hard questions of their representatives--and urging those who have not yet joined to do so.
"Those of you who attended rallies or town hall meetings: Keep showing up, keep calling Congress, and continue to fight," he said. "If you haven't taken action yet, we need your voice. Only together when millions of people stand up for economic justice, for social justice, for racial justice, for environmental justice, only then can we create a political revolution that will turn this country around."
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