Sisters and Brothers -

We are living in one of the most dangerous and consequential moments in modern history.

Under Trump, we are fighting oligarchy, authoritarianism, kleptocracy and a corrupt campaign finance system which allows billionaires enormous power over our elections and legislative process.

But we are also taking on Democratic establishment politicians, consultants and donors who are out of touch, think small, and are incapable or uninterested in mounting the grassroots working class movement that we desperately need if we’re going to win this struggle.

And not to scare you, but nothing less than the very future of our country, our planet and our democracy is on the line.

The good news is, all across this country I see a multi-generational, multi-racial movement of people who are ready to stand up and fight back. People who are saying NO to Trumpism, authoritarianism, and oligarchy and YES to an economy and government that works for all of us and not just the Oligarchs. And, because of you, we’re helping to lead that struggle.

Last Monday, on Labor Day, we spoke to thousands of people who came out for the Workers Over Billionaires rally in Concord, New Hampshire.

Later that night, we headed up to Portland, Maine to campaign for Graham Platner who is running in one of the most important Senate races of 2026 and Troy Jackson, who is running for Governor. Almost 7,000 people came out for a great rally.

Not only is control of the United States Senate on the line in this race but, with Graham, we can elect a working class candidate who will join me in taking on the greed of the billionaires.

We were also joined by Troy Jackson that night in Maine. Troy has also been part of our progressive working class movement from the beginning. He has always stood with those of us who understand that health care is a human right, that workers deserve a living wage, and that we need a government that works for all — and I am proud to stand with him in his campaign for Governor of Maine.

On Wednesday, I was part of a hearing in the Senate Finance Committee with Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS). That hearing, appropriately, got a lot of attention.

The truth is we now have a Secretary of HHS who is endangering the health of the American people today, and in the future. It is absurd to have to say this in 2025, but vaccines are safe and effective, have saved millions of lives and are one of the greatest advancements ever made in public health. That, of course, is not just my view. Far more importantly, it is the overwhelming consensus of the medical and scientific communities.

Bottom line: we need a Secretary of HHS who believes in science, not conspiracy theories. Kennedy should resign.

On Saturday, we went to New York City for a series of great events.

First, we marched with Zohran Mamdani and tens of thousands of union workers in the New York Labor Day Parade. Later that afternoon, I dropped into AOC's district where we met with a number of community leaders and beautiful kids. That was fun.

In the evening, we ended up at Brooklyn College for a Fighting Oligarchy event with Zohran, who ran a brilliant primary campaign and with our support will be the next Mayor of New York City.

Zohran's race, like Graham Platner in Maine, is incredibly important for our progressive movement.

When Zohran Mamdani started his campaign for Mayor of New York City he was at 2% in the polls and very few people gave him a chance against a former governor and incumbent mayor.

But he did what serious candidates must do. He campaigned on many of the issues that working people worry about — the outrageously high costs of housing, childcare and transportation. And his campaign caught fire.

With the support of 50,000+ volunteers he won the Democratic nomination for mayor with a very strong vote.

Now, at a time when support for the Democratic Party is at an all time low, you might think that Democratic Party leaders would be jumping with joy at Zohran’s success. Here was a young candidate who created enormous enthusiasm, brought about an extremely high voter turnout, used social media brilliantly, got new people involved in the political process and ran a campaign that resonated strongly with the people of New York City.

If you thought that the Democratic leadership was happy, you'd be very wrong.

Instead of embracing Zohran and building on his success, the major Democratic Party leaders in New York are refusing to endorse him — the candidate who won the Democratic primary. Some of you may think I’m kidding. I’m not. As of today, not one of the five major Democratic Party leaders in New York State has endorsed Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic Party candidate for mayor.

Pathetic. It appears that many of these “leaders” are more interested in standing with their wealthy campaign contributors than with the working class of New York.

So that's where we're at. A progressive movement not only taking on Trump and the entire Republican Party, but the Democratic Party establishment at the same time.

Big stuff.

With the events of last week, we have now completed 35 Fighting Oligarchy events in 21 states that have brought out more than 300,000 people. Thank you for making that happen.

This is a pivotal moment in American history. What we do now will not only impact our lives, but the lives of our kids and future generations. In terms of climate change, it will determine the well-being of the entire planet.

Now is not the time for despair. It’s not the time to hide under the covers. It's time to organize and fight back. We are making progress. Much more to be done.

Let’s go forward together.

In Solidarity,

Bernie

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