Sen. Bernie Sanders, the progressive Independent from Vermont, tonight responded to President Trump's first speech to Congress. Sen. Bernie Sanders has been a staunch opponent of President Donald Trump since the president first decided to run. He has criticized many of President Trump's policies such as the ban on Muslim immigrants and refugees, repealing Obamacare, plus many others. Below are some of the topics Sen. Bernie Sanders attacks President Trump on.
Sen. Sanders takes on the president on Social Security and Medicare
Sen. Bernie Sanders first started his rebuttal by reminding us that it's sometimes more important on what someone doesn't say as opposed to what they actually say.
For instance, Sen. Sanders noted that half of Americans don't have any retirement savings. Yet, President Trump didn't mention one word about Social Security or Medicare during his address to Congress. Sen. Sanders also pointed out that during Trump's campaign for the presidency he promised over and over again not to cut Social Security, Medicare, or Medicaid. Bernie said," It was a cornerstone of his campaign." Even worse President Trump has proposed a massive cut to Medicaid according to Sen. Sanders. Bernie proclaimed this would threaten the nursing home care of millions of senior citizens and the healthcare of many children. Bernie then went on to urge the president to tell the American people that he will keep his promise not to cut Social Security, Medicare, or Medicaid.
Sen. Sanders blasts President Trump's silence on income inequality and corrupt campaign finance
Sen. Bernie Sanders lambasted President Trump for keeping silent on the massive income gap there has ever been since the 1920's between the very rich and everyone else. He further stated his outrage that President Trump didn't comment on the disastrous Citizens United Supreme Court decision which was 5-4 in favor of giving the ability for billionaires to buy elections and undermine democracy.
Bernie asked, "How could President Trump give a speech to the nation and leave out something so enormously important?"
Sen. Sanders goes after the President on voter suppression
Sen. Bernie Sanders then tackled the issue of voter suppression where republican governors find ways to make it harder for those that oppose them to vote.
Bernie pointed out President Trump's silence on the issue of voter suppression during his over 1-hour speech to Congress. Afterward, Sen. Sanders mentions how President Trump's administration is currently working with Republican governors to make it harder for young and low-income people, senior citizens, and people of color to vote.
Bernie rips into the president on climate change
Sen. Sanders had some very harsh words for the president when it came to the very important issue of climate change. Bernie passionately pointed out how President Trump failed to utter one word when it came to the need to combat climate change and what he called, "The greatest environmental threat facing our planet." Not only did he ignore the topic of climate change, the president also pledged to increase his support for the fossil fuel industry.
Bernie attacks the president for not "draining the swamp"
Sen. Bernie Sanders also didn't hold back when mentioning how the president claimed he was going to "drain the swamp" during his campaign run. Bernie professed that the swamp is now alive and well in President Trump's administration because of the fact that he has more billionaires and millionaires than any other administration ever has. His chief economic adviser, for example, is Gary Cohn, the former president of Goldman Sachs, which paid millions in fines for their illegal activity. Sen. Sanders lastly pointed out the president's failure to mention his promise to reinstate Glass-Steagall, an important bank regulation which prohibits banks from engaging in the investment business. To watch more of Sen. Sanders rebuttal to the president's speech please watch the video below.
