Bernie Sanders made Omaha his first stop on his “Fighting Oligarchy: We Go From Here” tour, hoping to inspire grassroots movements.
The rally, which took place on Feb. 21 at Omaha Marriott Downtown, was the first stop of the “Fighting Oligarchy: Where We Go From Here” tour, and was followed by a stop in Iowa City, IA on Feb. 22, according to Newsweek.
“I’m here in Omaha because the time to act is now,” Sanders said.
Sanders chose to begin his tour in Omaha because it is in a working-class area that was won by former president Joe Biden in 2020 and Republican Congressman Don Bacon in 2024, according to Newsweek.
Sanders said he hoped the tour would persuade key members of Congress to cut ties with President Donald Trump and reject legislation that aims to give the wealthy tax breaks, according to the Omaha World Herald.
“A handful of billionaires worth unbelievable amounts of money have just too much political power,” Sanders said.
One of the main topics in the rally was Elon Musk, who currently leads the Department of Government Efficiency, also known as DOGE.
Sanders said Musk, as well as other billionaires, were “modern-day kings who believe they have an absolute right to rule.”
DOGE was recently granted entry into the U.S. Treasury after it received approval from Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, allowing Musk and his team into the Treasury’s systems, according to Newsweek.
The U.S. Treasury oversees trillions of dollars used in government payments, including Social Security and tax refunds, according to Newsweek.
“In my opinion, what Musk and those around him are aggressively striving for is not novel,” Sanders said. “It is not complicated, and it is not new.”
Musk previously pushed lawmakers to vote against a bipartisan spending bill that was proposed before Trump’s inauguration, and said Congress members who supported the bill should be voted out of office, according to Newsweek.
Sanders, who is currently 83, has since filed for Senate reelection in 2030 according to Newsweek.
Sanders has served four consecutive six-year terms in the Senate and has 16 years of experience in the House of Representatives, making him “the longest serving independent member of Congress in American history,” according to his website.
Sanders is the second-oldest sitting member of the U.S. Senate.
“They don’t want ordinary people–that’s you–and democracy getting in their way,” Sanders said in a video published on social media.In the video, Sanders said that Musk, as well as other billionaires, are attempting to create an oligarchy, which is defined as “a government in which a small group exercises control especially for corrupt and selfish purposes,” according to Merriam-Webster.
“It will be defeated by millions of Americans in Nebraska, in Iowa, in Vermont and all over the country,” said Sanders.
Sanders’ rally in Omaha exemplified the power that voters have, a powerful message regardless of agreement of his policies.
