Bernie Sanders compares Trump, Musk and other ‘oligarchs’ to ‘heroin addicts,’ says drug of choice is ‘greed’

Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., blasted President Donald Trump and Elon Musk for undermining democracy, while comparing billionaire “oligarchs” in both parties to “heroin addicts” whose drug of choice is “greed,” at a rally Monday night.

The comments came during a “Fight The Oligarchy” rally in Idaho, which included an address by progressive “Squad” Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y. Both politicians took most of their time speaking on stage to blast Trump and Musk repeatedly by name, and blamed them for destroying democracy in an effort to provide benefits for their billionaire friends. 

“I used to talk about oligarchy. And people say, What is he talking about? Everybody knows what I’m talking about tonight. When Trump got inaugurated, sitting right behind them were the three wealthiest people in this country: Musk, Bezos and Zuckerberg,” Sanders told a raucous crowd in Nampa, Idaho Monday night.

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“Well, these guys, these oligarchs, have a major, major addiction problem. And you know what it is? It is greed,” Sanders added during his Monday address. “They’re like heroin addicts. They can’t control themselves. They need more and more, and they do not care who they step over in order to get another billion dollars. So we are going to take care of their addiction problems.”

Michael Thompson, of Nampa, right, stands by a pair of President Donald Trump flags as attendees line up to enter the “Fighting Oligarchy” event with Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., at the Ford Idaho Center in Nampa, Idaho, Monday, April 14, 2025.  ((AP Photo/Kyle Green))

Sanders noted that billionaire “oligarchs” can come from both political parties – Republicans and Democrats – but the night’s sentiment was directed towards those billionaires in Trump world. 

“Understand that all of this right now is what it feels like to be governed by billionaires. This is what oligarchy feels like,” AOC told rally goers. “This concentration of power, greed and corruption is oligarchy. It’s oligarchy in America, and we must acknowledge the terrifying moment that we are in right now.”

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Both Sanders and AOC referenced the president’s inauguration as a key example of the “oligarchy,” pointing to Jeff Bezos, Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk being in attendance and sitting very close to the president. Sanders also noted the “13 other billionaires who Trump had nominated” to be in his cabinet, who were also in attendance that day.

Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., right, and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., acknowledge the cheering crowd during a “Fighting Oligarchy” event in Los Angeles, Saturday, April 12, 2025.(AP Photo/Jae C. Hong) (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

Sanders and AOC also took their moment on stage Monday night to call for action. 

“It will never be just institutions and politicians and officials alone that uphold our democracy. It will always be the people, the masses, who refuse to comply with authoritarian regimes, who are the last and strongest defense of our country and our freedoms. It is you. It is you Idaho,” AOC told the crowd. 

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“We are here today because we choose democracy, we choose freedom, we choose justice. And that means we must choose to out-organize the oligarchy. We must do away with the power of big money.”