Bernie Sanders Launches Nationwide Tour to Counter Trump’s Influence, Starts in Nebraska
Sen. Bernie Sanders is set to visit Nebraska and Iowa as he kicks off a campaign aimed at reinvigorating the populist left and pushing back against President Donald Trump’s growing influence. The Vermont independent is focusing on working-class districts that played a pivotal role in the 2024 election, particularly where Republican House members were elected despite President Joe Biden’s previous success in 2020.The tour will begin on February 21 in Omaha, Nebraska, with an evening stop at a union hall, followed by a visit to an Iowa City theater on February 22.Sanders’ press release emphasized that his campaign will focus on the growing threat posed by Trump and his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) partner, billionaire tech mogul Elon Musk. Sanders warned that the U.S. is closer than ever to authoritarianism, oligarchy, and kleptocracy, and he intends to highlight how Trump’s policies are endangering working-class Americans. His message is clear: Democrats and the broader left must shift their focus back to working-class issues if they hope to win back voters who have moved toward the right.. Jane Kleeb, chair of the Nebraska Democratic Party and a longtime Sanders ally, has echoed this sentiment, stressing the importance of economic policies in countering Trump’s appeal. Sanders believes that Trump’s success in 2024 came from his ability to realign the Republican coalition by merging blue-collar workers, religious conservatives, and traditional conservatives under a common political identity.
While Trump’s strategy relied heavily on social issues, Sanders argues that economic concerns remain the most pressing for most Americans. “Today, the oligarchs and the billionaires are getting richer and richer and have more and more power,” Sanders said in his statement announcing the tour. “Meanwhile, 60% of Americans live paycheck to paycheck, and most of our people are struggling to pay for health care, child care, and housing. ”His goal is to host town hall meetings and ensure that more Americans hear a message of economic justice and collective action. Sanders, who has long been a champion of progressive policies, believes that working people can still “fight back” against policies that favor the wealthy at the expense of the majority. Sanders is no stranger to Nebraska and Iowa. As a former presidential candidate, he frequently visited these states, drawing large crowds of progressive supporters. His return signals an effort to reconnect with voters who may feel abandoned by the Democratic Party’s current messaging. One key focus of the tour is Nebraska’s 2nd Congressional District, a region with a unique political landscape. The district, which includes Omaha, has voted inconsistently in recent elections. In 2016, it backed Trump, then flipped to Biden in 2020, and later supported Vice President Kamala Harris in 2024. However, it also reelected Republican Rep. Don Bacon five times, despite its recent Democratic lean in presidential elections.
Nebraska plays a unique role in national politics due to its split Electoral College system, which awards one electoral vote to the winner of each congressional district and two votes to the statewide winner. Unlike most states, where the winner takes all electoral votes, Nebraska and Maine divide their votes, allowing a candidate to claim a single district’s vote even if they lose the state overall. In 2024, Trump won Nebraska’s statewide vote, but the 2nd District remained a critical battleground. Republican Gov. Jim Pillen and several conservative lawmakers in Nebraska’s officially nonpartisan but Republican-controlled Unicameral Legislature have been pushing to change this system. Their goal is to shift Nebraska to a winner-take-all model, reducing the possibility of the state continuing to split off a vote for Democrats in future elections. If successful, this move could solidify Nebraska’s red-state status and remove a potential electoral advantage for Democrats. Sanders’ visit to Nebraska comes amid these discussions, as he attempts to rally support for a Democratic resurgence in the state. His efforts aim to counteract Republican moves that could further disadvantage progressive candidates in the region.
The broader message of Sanders’ tour is a call to action for working-class voters who may feel disillusioned with both major parties. By emphasizing economic justice and the dangers of concentrated wealth and power, he hopes to shift the political conversation away from culture wars and back toward policies that benefit everyday Americans. The coming months will reveal whether Sanders’ strategy resonates with voters and whether his pushback against Trump and Musk will inspire broader mobilization on the left.
With the 2024 elections still shaping the political landscape, his tour could play a role in influencing future Democratic strategies and rebuilding support among working-class Americans.
