CONCORD, NH — U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders marked Labor Day with a fiery address on the steps of the New Hampshire State House, continuing his national tour with calls for economic justice, an end to corporate influence in politics, and a renewed fight against President Donald Trump.
The Vermont Independent, who won the 2020 New Hampshire primary, drew a crowd of more than 4,000 in downtown Concord. The rally, organized by the New Hampshire chapter of 50501, also featured State Representative Alissandra Murray, D-Manchester, and U.S. Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif.
Sanders cast the United States as a nation of immense wealth marred by staggering inequality.
“We are living in the wealthiest nation in the history of the world but people don’t know that because almost all of the wealth is in the hands of the 1%,” he said, singling out billionaire Elon Musk as an example.
The senator denounced the Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision and the influence of super PACs, declaring, “We believe in democracy as one person, one vote. Not billionaires buying elections.”
Sanders outlined a progressive platform centered on raising taxes on corporations and the wealthy, expanding access to education, and confronting the nation’s housing crisis.
“How about instead of giving the Pentagon 150 billion dollars, why don’t we build millions of units of low-income and affordable housing?” he asked.
On foreign policy, Sanders turned to the ongoing war in Gaza, condemning U.S. military aid to Israel. He argued taxpayer dollars should never be used to “support atrocities against civilians, including the starvation of children.”
The senator reserved some of his sharpest words for Trump, accusing the former president of scapegoating minorities to distract from systemic issues.
“What demagogues always do is take a powerless minority and blame them for all of our problems,” Sanders said, invoking historical examples from Europe and the United States.
He urged unity across lines of race, religion, and background: “If we stand together around an agenda for the working people, we can bring us all together to take on Trump.”
Sanders contrasted what he described as the empathy of ordinary Americans—particularly veterans—with the insatiable greed of the ultra-wealthy. He recalled veterans declining government benefits out of concern for those worse off.
“That’s what being human is about. Being human is a desire to care about others because we are all in this together,” he said.
By contrast, Sanders warned, the nation’s oligarchs “want more and more and more—they will not stop—unless we stop them.”
Sanders ended with a defiant appeal to resist despair and protect democracy.
“People fought and died for American democracy and you’re not going to take it away from us,” he said to thunderous applause. “Trump and his pals try to divide us up, but let’s stand together and keep our eyes on the prize. And that is a vibrant democracy and an economy that works for every man, woman and child, not just the 1%.”