In a strong criticism of the Republican Party, Senator Bernie Sanders recently told CNN‘s Anderson Cooper that the GOP has turned into a “Stalinist-type party or cult of the individual,” with members “afraid to stand up to Donald Trump.”
Sanders made these comments while discussing a new bill introduced by Senator Josh Hawley to undo certain Medicaid cuts that were part of a larger tax and spending bill—a bill Hawley himself had voted for just two weeks earlier. Sanders said he found the situation hard to believe, calling it “a very crazy environment.”
He described the “big, beautiful bill” as “the most disastrous piece of legislation in the modern history of our country,” saying it would take healthcare away from 17 million people, slash funding for nutrition and education, and eventually cause up to 50,000 American deaths each year. He also pointed out how badly it would hurt rural hospitals, nursing homes, and community health centers.
Bernie Sanders says GOP can’t say no to Trump
When asked about the Republican argument that the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) is “compromised,” a common GOP claim about the bill’s effect on the deficit. Sanders responded, “No, no, there is an authoritative source. Its name is Donald Trump.” He explained his “cult of the individual” comment further, saying that Republicans, no matter what they personally think about the harm the bill could do, are “afraid to stand up to Donald Trump.” He gave examples of how Trump and his supporters have gone after those who disagree, mentioning Senator Thom Tillis as one case.
Beyond the debate over the bill, Sanders also raised serious concerns about the administration’s immigration policies, especially the push for mass deportations. He agreed that people want strong borders and the removal of undocumented criminals, but he stressed that the “vast majority” of those being arrested are hardworking people with no criminal records who play a vital role in the economy. Many work tough, low-paying jobs in farming, meatpacking, nursing homes, and childcare. He said it was cruel to send people to countries where they don’t speak the language or where conditions are unstable, like Sudan. This matches recent reports that White House official Stephen Miller has been pushing for a daily quota of 3,000 immigration arrests.
Finally, on the Jeffrey Epstein case, Sanders said he didn’t know all the details but pointed out what he sees as a broken promise from the administration. He noted that Trump and his allies had promised during the campaign to “open up all of these files” to expose alleged wrongdoing by Democrats, but now they’re saying they “can’t open up the files.” Sanders said this makes people think Trump has “lied to them.”
