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B
All right. Joining me today on IHIP News is a longtime progressive champion in Vermont, Senator Bernie Sanders. Senator Sanders, thank you so much for joining me. We have a lot to discuss, so let's just rip into it. Donald Trump is on his way to China right now with an entourage of billionaires whose combined net worth exceeds $870 billion. And I thought, I wonder, out of all of the Americans that I know of, who might have something to say about this? And I thought about you.
A
Well, I think what Trump's friends on Air Force One are telling us is, number one, these are guys who are pushing artificial intelligence and robotics. So I would ask the American people to take a deep breath and think, do you believe that Elon Musk and the rest of these guys are staying up nights worrying about what AI and robotics is going to do to working families throughout the country? Is that really their goal? Are they coming up with a new vaccine, a new medicine to improve lives? Between you and me, I don't think so. I think these very, very wealthy and powerful people want to become even wealthier and more powerful, and that should concern us. Having said that, I hope very much as someone who is concerned about the impact of AI in many respects, I would hope that President Trump and President Xi will talk about the existential threat about what might happen if AI escapes human control and what that will mean. Is there many scientists who worry about that. And I think there needs to be a coming together of China and the United States, other countries, to prevent that.
B
And what do you think AI means to a lot of working class jobs?
A
Good. Thanks for asking it. I got involved in this, Jennifer, not because I am a big tech guy. I am not. I can barely turn on the television in my house. But I'm looking around and I'm reading and I'm beginning to sense that we are looking at the most consequential transformation of society in human history. And I'm looking at my colleagues here in the Congress and saying, obviously there's going to be a lot of discussion about what this means, right? Wrong. All right, so what are the issues that we are concerned about? Number one, as I've just said, should we worry very much that a handful of the richest people in the world are pushing this transformational technology? What are their goals? Are they really concerned about the betterment of human beings? I think not. So that's the first red light that I think we have got to be aware of. Number two, what does it mean economically? Well, nobody exactly knows, to be honest with you. But there are estimates out there that over the next 10 years, you know, tens and tens of millions of jobs will be displaced. All right, just think about it for a moment. Mr. Bezos, one of the richest guys in the world, right? He is investing. He wants to put together a fund of $100 billion to automate factories. Got it. You know what that means? It means that robots will be doing the manufacturing in the United States. Millions of jobs will be lost. We're looking at driverless vehicles spreading all over the country. There's millions of truck drivers losing their jobs, cab drivers, Uber drivers and other drivers. So what do we do in terms of young college graduates getting harder and harder to find jobs? The legal profession, accounting, all of those professions are under attack from AI. Does anybody have a serious plan on how to deal with that? That's one issue. Another issue is the issue of privacy. All right? AI now in companies like Palantir have the capability to put together all kinds of information about you. We are in danger of losing every shred of privacy that we have. We are seeing right now kids getting hooked on AI bots who are now their best friends and sometimes with disastrous results. But take it a step further. It's not only the emotional health of young people. What kind of society are we moving to when we spend our times with agents on the screen and not with other human beings, that's a big deal. And then you have the issue of, as I mentioned, the existential threat. So those are some of the concerns that I have. And it bothers me very much that my colleagues here are not addressing these issues. We're trying to fill the hole. And that has a lot to do with money and politics and the fact that AI industry, again owned by the wealthiest people in our country, are spending hundreds of millions of dollars to make sure that members of Congress and candidates do not raise the important issues about guardrails and how we best go forward.
B
I think it's rather fascinating that a lot of these billionaires, these oligarchs that have bent the knee to Trump, they have made billions of dollars in a very short period of time. The President has made billions of dollars in a very short period of time. Despite these record earnings in such a short period of time, we're seeing a lot of layoffs in the companies that are profiting so much. Amazon is laying people off, Apple's laying people off, et cetera. What's your take on this lie that I think we were told in this last election that immigrants are coming for your jobs, when really it's the robots that are coming for everybody's job.
A
You've raised a couple of important issues in terms of immigrants. What disgusts me very much about Trump, it's not just his by and large, terrible policies, is he is doing today what demagogues throughout history have always done. It is no secret to anybody who is watching this. Our country faces enormous problems, right? Not easily solved. But these are very, very serious problems. And what decent political leaders try to do is to say, all right, how do you deal with the housing crisis? How do you deal with childcare? How do you deal with health care? How do you deal with income and wealth inequality? How do you deal with climate change? All right, tough issues, right? You lay them on the table and we debate in democracy. What Trump is trying to do is saying, hey, you're a working class person out there having a hard time feeding your family. You can't send your kids to college, you can't afford health care. You know whose fault that is? I'll tell you whose fault it is. It's the millions of undocumented people here. They're stealing, they're robbing, they're raping, they're murdering horrible, terrible people. And if we just throw them all out, we have ice breaking down doors. And don't Worry about the Constitution, man. Everything's going to be better. And I hate that. I really do hate that. I hate that for so many reasons. But the most important is that's what demagogues do. You pick on a powerless minority in our country. Blacks, gays, Latinos, Europe, Jews, Gypsies, you name the group. Trans people are very popular. You can go hate them. That's easy. You pick a group to hate and you blame them for all the problems facing society. And that is what Trumpism is about. Now, in terms of the economy, again, nobody knows exactly what and how quickly these transformations take place. But there are very smart economists out there who worry that we are going to lose millions and millions. Not only blue collar jobs, but white collar jobs as well. People like Elon Musk, who I'm not very fond of, to say the least. He says that work will be optional. Got that. That AI and robotics will do everything that you can do better than you can do. Which raises, Jennifer, another interesting question. What happens to us as human beings? What do we do? If somebody could do your program better than you, smarter than you, what do you do? What kind of world do we want? Yeah. You know, Mrs. Trump walks down the aisle in the White House with a robot by our side. These are, in so many words, these are the future teachers of America. You want your kids being taught by robots. So these are the profound questions that we need a national discussion on. And the good news is that without the help of leaders here in Washington, the American people are rising up in terms of opposition to these data centers. All over the country in conservative areas, people say thank you, but no thank you. So it's a huge issue and we are trying to do our best in terms of legislation. We've proposed a moratorium on data centers. We're going to come up with some very important ideas, I think, to make sure that AI and robotics benefit the all people, not just Mr. Musk and his friends.
B
You are leading the call for an important call for the 2026 midterms. Pop this up, Kylie. Bernie Sanders presses Democrats to swear off super PACs in primaries. The independent senator from Vermont says top Democrats should tell candidates they will otherwise lose access to party resources. I agree with this 100%. Senator, please go off on this.
A
All right, Jennifer, thanks for your support on this. Look, it's easy and truthful to say Donald Trump is a threat to democracy. I don't want to go into great length. We all know that is true. He happens not to believe in democracy and he'll do Everything he can to undermine it. But it is not just Donald Trump. A moment ago we were talking about AI and my concern that I don't see people standing up and saying, gee, what are we going to do about area, how do we protect workers, how do we protect the environment, et cetera, et cetera. And the reason for that is AI will put in many, many, many hundreds of millions of dollars into campaigns you're running for Congress. You see, and I'm really concerned about the impact of A.I. you are right. All right. Put $10 million in ads against her, all right, and it doesn't even buy. Don't. You don't have to use the word AI Go through a record, come up with some crap and attack her. So what we are seeing right now is the diminishment of democracy. You know, I come from a very rural state, small state, and the first Tuesday in March, there are town meetings all over the state. So you got towns of 500 people. People come out and they raise their hand, they argue about how much they're going to spend on the roads, how much they're going to spend on the schools and et cetera, et cetera. And majority wins. Right? That's kind of old fashioned democracy. We are nowhere near that anymore. In this country. Candidates spend half their lives or more raising money. They're scared to death about AI they're scared to death about crypto money, death about APAC money, billionaire money in general. We are losing democracy in that respect. So the goal, of course, is to get rid of Citizens United, in my view, move to public funding on of elections. But what the Democratic Party can do tomorrow is to say, you know what, we do not want super PACs in Democratic primaries. Get them out. And any candidate who does not help us get it out will be punished in A, B and C waste. And there are ways that you can do that.
B
I completely agree with you. You've taught me a lot on this. I used to just buy the Democratic Party narrative. And after we lost to Trump twice, I started really listening to more progressive voices like yours. And the argument that really penetrated to me was it's very difficult to trust Democrats that take money from the Same corporations and PACs that are funding fascism. And that was just, I mean, you'd been saying it for a long time. And I'm sorry, I'm such a slow learner, but I think the whole country is kind of evolving to this, that we cannot trust Democrats that have a D next to their name, that are taking money from Palantir that are taking money from AIPAC because these PACs and corporations are heavily, heavily invested in making sure that a corrupt financial system succeeds.
A
You're absolutely right. Nothing more than I can add to that. Except the problem is getting worse and worse every day. You know, and by the way, I would say that you have conservative Republicans who feel the same way that you do. All right, you know, I happen, maybe I'm old fashioned. I really love democracy. I really do. I love the idea you disagree with me, argue with me. It's great, right? It's how we learn. All right, you win occasionally, I win occasionally. And I've lost a number of elections when I was younger. You know, it's a beautiful thing, it really is. It gets kids to think and so forth and so on. But we're losing that right now because billionaires have an agenda. And what is so cynical is, yes, you got Republicans, by the way, investing in with their super PACs in Democratic primaries. You got big money. They don't really get damn who wins. You're a Republican, Democratic, doesn't matter. We own you anyhow. Right? Putting into all kinds of dark money. So if, and I hope everybody understands, this is not just. Jennifer and I are not just talking about some abstract concern. It is why you do not have health care as a human right. It's why the minimum wage in Washington is seven and a quarter an hour. It's why our trade policies have been a disaster for workers. It's why we don't have a decent child care system. Big money dominates every aspect of what goes on here in Washington. And unless we get rid of these super PACs, it's going to be even worse.
B
Senator, I think a lot of people right now are kind of waking up to the reality that every time it appears, at least in my lifetime, a Republican gets the executive branch, it goes the following. Tax cuts, lies, wealth will trickle down. It never happens. They add to the deficit and the next thing you know we're at war in some senseless war. And I think right now the appetite from everyday Americans who are constantly told, no, we can't afford that, no, we have to cut that. No, you're lazy, no, you don't work hard enough. But yes, we can afford to go bomb in the Middle east with impunity. I think the American public has had it with this and that people are waking up.
A
I think you're absolutely right. And again, it is not just Democrats, it's an increasing number of Republicans, especially younger Republicans, I think. And it is, I mean this war and what we have seen, it bothers me in an incredibly deep way. One might have hope, Jennifer, that in the year 2026, the world would have learned something about how to deal with conflicts other than going around killing people. One might have thought, right? So right now, what are we looking at? You're looking at Putin with his imperialist ideas having invaded Ukraine. You're looking at the horror of what Israel and the Netanyahu government did in Gaza, which in my view constitutes genocide funded by American taxpayers. And then you're looking at our friend Donald Trump, along with Netanyahu, starting a war in Iran for no reason that anybody can really ascertain. Now, these guys here in Washington, the Trump administration said, well, it's going to cost 25, 30 billion dollars. That is total, absolute nonsense. It's going to cost 10, 20 times that. Meanwhile, not only are they spending all this money in the war in Iran, Trump comes forward. We are spending a trillion dollars a year on the military. You got it. We don't have health care for all people. We have a challenged educational system. Kids can't afford to go to college. A trillion dollars a year. And you know what Trump wants? He wants another 500 billion. Got it. A 50% increase. And three blocks away from where I am right now on Capitol Hill, people are sleeping out on the street because we have a massive housing crisis, which, as you say, we can't afford to deal with housing, can't afford to deal with childcare, can't afford to. We can't afford to deal with healthcare. But somehow, when there is a bloody war out there, we always have the money. And it's time we said no to that.
B
Senator Sanders, I share your concern about AI but I'm also concerned about a cultural problem that I think America has. And it is a problem that has incubated this certain state that we find ourselves in. And it is that billionaires and millionaires and rich people are entitled to certain things and that we give them the privilege of, oh, they must be smart, they must be great. And if Zoron wants to tax a guy instead of that guy, come to New York and saying, you know what? I'll gladly pay my fair share in taxes. Thank you for bringing this to my attention. I have a bank account that could choke a bull. I want to partner with you, Mayor. They're victims and they're bedwetters. And then to the working class Americans, they're told by some of your colleagues in the Senate that maybe you should get a second job or maybe you shouldn't have that latte. There's this dismissive, demeaning nature that started a long time ago towards working class people and the propping up of these billionaires. So my question for you is, number one, can we afford these billionaires? And number two, this cultural deference that we give these people that exploit this country so much really concerns me and I want your thoughts on that.
A
Well, Jennifer, I think you raised, you raised a lot of good issues. One look, capitalists and very wealthy people forever. What do they want? They want to make more and more money. They often break unions, try to pay their workers as little as possible. Nothing new about that. But I think you're touching on something that we have a new breed here of people. A they are unbelievably wealthy. And I hope everybody knows what is not talked about too much in the corporate media. And that is today we have more income and wealth inequality than we've ever had in the history of this country. Remember when we were in school, we studied the Gilded Age Rockefellers and all those guys? Nothing compared to what we have right now. All right, we don't talk about it because they own the media and they own the politicians. But 1% owns more wealth than the bottom 93%. That's disgraceful. Number two, the point that you are making is these guys now think literally that because they are smart and they work hard and they develop these big tech companies that they are God's gift to the human race, that they have a divine right to rule. And who the hell are you to tell them that? Maybe there should be some guidelines to protect children from the dangers of chatbots on AI who are you? Who do you think you are? You want to tax me? Really? You want to steal my money? I only have $400 billion and you want a tax? Tell you what we're going to do. I'm leaving New York City. I'm leaving California because you know what? Nothing you could do about me. You want to tax me? I'm gone. We're going to take away your job. I have all the power. You got nothing. That is arrogance. You know, you might think I obviously am very strongly supportive of the billionaire wealth tax ballot item in California. In fact, I was out there pushing it and I hope it wins. I think it's a great start and very supportive of what Maudani is trying to do in New York. You would think that if these guys had a sense of decency, not only would they pay their fair share of taxes, but second of all, if they disagreed, then Have a debate instead. What they are doing is extorting people. You follow what I'm saying? If you want to tell me why taxing somebody who has $100 billion to make sure their children have health care, tell me why that's a bad idea. I'm all he is. All right, let's have that debate. That's not what they're doing. What they're saying is, if you tax me, if a majority of people in California say yes, we get the hell out of here, we're going to punish you. That's what they're doing is using their power. And that's arrogance. And that is the issue you're raising. And we got to take them on very boldly.
B
Yeah, it, it really irritates me that they don't put their name on the ballot and go try to change policy or things that they want the proper way. Instead, they just cheat and buy their way into it. It's legal cheating, obviously. But last question, and I think this is so important. What type of impact would it make to America, to our deficit, to everyday working class people who are just trying to live if these billionaires were taxed is part one of the question. Part two, what impact would it have in the billionaire's life?
A
All right, I would urge everybody to go to our social media and take a look at this. We have proposed a wealth tax, the 5% tax on the wealth of, I don't know what is 1,000 billionaires in America? Thousand people in a nation of 340 million people. What it would mean is we would start off in the first year in these difficult times, making sure that every family in America of less than $150,000, which is vast majority of families, each man, woman and child will get a $3,000 check. All right, first year. Second of all, Trump threw 15 million people off of health care. We put them right back onto health care as we fight for a Medicare for all program. But we keep them getting their health care. We desperately need to deal with a housing crisis. Our bill would allow US to build 7 million units of, of low income and affordable housing. We can solve the child care crisis in America and do many other things. And at the end of all that, you know what we've done. Elon Musk is down to a mere 750, $800 billion. I know, I know it'll be hard. These are tough times. You know what the price of gas at the bump is? But Elon could probably pay it. All right? And all these guys, in other words, the point of this bill, which as of this point, has one. No, we do have one two people on it, is to show the insanity. You can leave these guys tremendously wealthy and we can have an unbelievable impact on hundreds of millions of Americans. That's why we gotta deal with this income and wealth inequality. I think a wealth tax is the way to go.
B
Well, I mean, isn't that something? It wouldn't affect their lives at all, but would make a big patriotic impact on the country that has set them up for so much success. Senator Sanders, thank you for everything you do. Thank you for always being the most incorruptible voice of reason for America. It means so much to all of us. Thank you for joining me.
A
Well, thank you very much for having me. Take care.
Date: May 13, 2026
Hosts: Jennifer Welch & Angie Sullivan
Guest: Senator Bernie Sanders
In this high-energy, outspoken episode, Jennifer Welch welcomes Senator Bernie Sanders for a passionate, no-holds-barred conversation about the 2026 political landscape. The interview covers Sanders’ stark critique of Donald Trump, the alarming rise of AI and tech oligarchs, Sanders’ new push against super PACs in Democratic primaries, his support for a billionaire wealth tax, and the ongoing struggles of working-class Americans. With humor and urgency, the hosts and Sanders dissect how wealth, power, and technology are shaping the future—and what must be done to fight back.
[01:52 – 06:45]
Sanders' Skepticism of Tech Billionaires:
He challenges the motives of Trump’s billionaire allies—including Elon Musk—who are in China to discuss AI/robotics. Sanders asks, “Do you believe that Elon Musk and the rest of these guys are staying up nights worrying about what AI and robotics is going to do to working families throughout the country? Is that really their goal?” ([01:52], Sanders)
Impact of AI on Working-Class Jobs:
“We are looking at the most consequential transformation of society in human history... there are estimates out there that over the next 10 years, you know, tens and tens of millions of jobs will be displaced.” ([03:16], Sanders)
Loss of Privacy & Social Consequences:
AI is leading to “danger of losing every shred of privacy,” and the rise of AI chatbots is risking children’s emotional health and social development ([05:21], Sanders).
[06:45 – 10:53]
Dissecting the “Immigrants Steal Jobs” Narrative:
Sanders argues Trump scapegoats vulnerable groups instead of solving real problems:
“What disgusts me very much about Trump… is he is doing today what demagogues throughout history have always done… You pick on a powerless minority…” ([07:27], Sanders)
Grassroots Resistance to Big Tech:
Sanders cites growing opposition to data centers, especially in conservative areas: “Without the help of leaders here in Washington, the American people are rising up in terms of opposition to these data centers.” ([10:35], Sanders)
Legislative Push:
Sanders advocates for a moratorium on data centers and promises further legislative action: “We’re going to come up with some very important ideas… to make sure that AI and robotics benefit all people, not just Mr. Musk and his friends.” ([10:47], Sanders)
[10:53 – 15:52]
Sanders’ Campaign to Restore Democracy:
He denounces the corrosive influence of super PACs and dark money in politics:
“We are seeing right now is the diminishment of democracy… Candidates spend half their lives… raising money. They’re scared to death about AI… about crypto money, about AIPAC money, billionaire money in general.” ([11:57], Sanders)
Bipartisan Concern over Political Corruption:
“By the way, I would say that you have conservative Republicans who feel the same way…” ([14:17], Sanders)
Consequences of Big Money Politics:
“It is why you do not have health care as a human right. It’s why the minimum wage… is seven and a quarter an hour. It’s why our trade policies have been a disaster for workers. It’s why we don’t have a decent child care system. Big money dominates every aspect of what goes on here in Washington.” ([15:18], Sanders)
[15:52 – 18:40]
Cycle of Tax Cuts, Deficits, and War:
Welch notes a pattern under Republican presidents: “Tax cuts, lies, wealth will trickle down. It never happens. They add to the deficit and the next thing you know we’re at war…” ([15:52], Welch)
Sanders’ Condemnation of War Spending:
“We are spending a trillion dollars a year on the military... and you know what Trump wants? He wants another 500 billion. Got it. A 50% increase... But somehow, when there is a bloody war out there, we always have the money. And it’s time we said no to that.” ([17:47], Sanders)
[18:40 – 25:15]
American “Worship” of Billionaires:
Welch asks if we can “afford these billionaires” and criticizes the narrative that props them up while shaming working people: “There’s this dismissive, demeaning nature that started a long time ago towards working class people and the propping up of these billionaires.” ([19:32], Welch)
Sanders on Wealth and Arrogance:
“Today we have more income and wealth inequality than we’ve ever had in the history of this country… 1% owns more wealth than the bottom 93%. That’s disgraceful.” ([20:22], Sanders)
Impact of a Wealth Tax:
Sanders lays out his plan:
“We have proposed a wealth tax, the 5% tax on the wealth of… 1,000 billionaires in America... we would start off in the first year… making sure that every family in America of less than $150,000… will get a $3,000 check... We put [15 million thrown-off] back onto health care... build 7 million units of low-income and affordable housing... solve the child care crisis…” ([23:27], Sanders)
“Do you believe that Elon Musk and the rest of these guys are staying up nights worrying about what AI and robotics is going to do to working families throughout the country? Is that really their goal?”
– Bernie Sanders, [01:52]
“We are looking at the most consequential transformation of society in human history… tens and tens of millions of jobs will be displaced.”
– Sanders, [03:16]
“What disgusts me very much about Trump… is he is doing today what demagogues throughout history have always done. You pick on a powerless minority…”
– Sanders, [07:27]
“We are seeing right now is the diminishment of democracy… Candidates spend half their lives… raising money. They’re scared to death about AI… about crypto money... about billionaire money in general.”
– Sanders, [11:57]
“It is why you do not have health care as a human right. It's why the minimum wage… is seven and a quarter an hour... Big money dominates every aspect of what goes on here in Washington. And unless we get rid of these super PACs, it's going to be even worse.”
– Sanders, [15:18]
On war priorities: “A trillion dollars a year. And you know what Trump wants? He wants another 500 billion. Got it. A 50% increase. And three blocks away from where I am right now on Capitol Hill, people are sleeping out on the street… But somehow, when there is a bloody war out there, we always have the money.”
– Sanders, [17:47]
“We have more income and wealth inequality than we’ve ever had… 1% owns more wealth than the bottom 93%. That’s disgraceful.”
– Sanders, [20:22]
“At the end of all that, you know what we’ve done? Elon Musk is down to a mere 750, $800 billion... But Elon could probably pay it.”
– Sanders, [24:27]
This episode delivers a robust progressive critique of Trump-era politics, the unchecked power of tech oligarchs, and systemic inequality. Bernie Sanders lays out bold—potentially transformative—plans to curb billionaire influence, regulate AI, and rebalance America’s social contract. With sharp humor and grassroots energy, the hosts and Sanders connect the dots between war, wealth, and democracy, leaving listeners with a rallying call for direct action and policy reform.