Special Poll
Ocasio-Cortez and Sanders Slam Musk in First Joint Rally of ‘Fighting Oligarchy’ Tour
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) took direct aim at Elon Musk during their first joint appearance on Sanders’ nationwide “Fighting Oligarchy” tour. The rally took place in Las Vegas on Thursday and also featured Nevada Rep. Steven Horsford (D). The event centered on economic inequality and what the lawmakers described as a growing threat to public programs posed by wealthy elites.
Ocasio-Cortez criticized Musk by name, arguing that billionaires like him are leveraging their influence to push for tax cuts for the wealthy by targeting public safety nets such as Medicaid and Social Security.
“We are here together because an extreme concentration of power and corruption is taking over this country like never before,” Ocasio-Cortez told the crowd.
She warned that an oligarchy is forming in the U.S., in which a small group of powerful individuals with economic, political, and technological clout are “destroying the public good to enrich themselves while millions of Americans pay the price.” She cited Musk as a key example of this phenomenon.
Musk has become the public face of the Trump administration’s campaign to shrink the federal government, implementing widespread layoffs and agency closures under the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). While Musk claims the goal is to root out fraud and waste, many critics believe the actions go much further, jeopardizing critical programs relied on by working-class Americans.
Despite President Trump’s repeated assurances that Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid would not be touched, recent policy discussions and legislative moves from some Republicans in Congress—often echoing Musk’s rhetoric—have reignited public anxiety over potential cuts.
The timing of the Sanders-Ocasio-Cortez tour comes as economic tensions grow and more Americans voice concern about corporate overreach, rising inequality, and shrinking federal protections. Their joint appearance signals a renewed effort by progressive leaders to rally public support against what they describe as a billionaire-driven dismantling of the public safety net.
As the 2026 midterms approach and debates over the future of government programs intensify, the question remains: Will Musk’s vision for government downsizing help the nation—or deepen the divide between America’s ultra-rich and everyone else?