“This is Not The End, Just The Beginning” Sen. Bernie Sanders Addresses No Kings Rally in DC

We Love America: The ‘No Kings’ Movement Rises Against Authoritarianism and Oligarchy

In a moment of profound danger for the American experiment, millions of Americans from every corner of the country poured into the streets this past weekend, united under one powerful message: “No Kings.”

Despite House Speaker Mike Johnson deriding these nationwide demonstrations—including the massive rally in Washington, DC—as “Hate America events,” the truth is exactly the opposite. These rallies are born from a deep, abiding love for America and the fundamental principles upon which it was founded. We are here to honor the sacrifices of the countless men and women who, over 250 years, fought and sometimes died to defend our democracy and our freedoms.

From King George to King Trump: The Demand for Freedom Endures

Our founders, with extraordinary courage in 1776, announced to the world that they would not be ruled by an absolute king. After a bloody war, they established the first democratic form of government in modern history, declaring: “No more kings.” In America, “We the people will rule.”

Today, in 2025, that message is being echoed across the nation. To President Trump and any who seek to amass unconstitutional power, we say clearly: We don’t want you or any other king to rule us. We will maintain our democratic society. We will not move toward authoritarianism in America. We the people will rule.

The Experiment is in Danger

George Washington called our attempt at self-government “an experiment entrusted to the hands of the American people.” Today, that experiment is in unprecedented danger.

We see this danger in a President who:

• Wants more power for himself and his “fellow oligarchs.”
• Claims peaceful protests are “insurrection,” threatening to call in the military and arrest governors and mayors who resist.
• Deploys masked agents to conduct warrantless raids and detentions.
• Sues and intimidates the media, undermining the First Amendment.
• Threatens to arrest or imprison political opponents, from attorneys general to sitting senators.
• Attacks judges, ignores Congress, and attempts to redraw election maps to ensure his candidates win.
• Illegally fires federal employees and rips up union contracts.
• Violates the Constitution by accepting massive gifts from foreign leaders.

More Than One Man’s Greed: The Rule of the Oligarchs

This moment is not just about one man’s corruption; it’s about a handful of the wealthiest people on Earth who, in their insatiable greed, have hijacked our economy and political system.

Yes, I’m talking about Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, Mark Zuckerberg, and the other multi-billionaires who’ve seen their wealth and power skyrocket since Trump took office. Their insatiable desire for more has led to an insane level of inequality:

• One person, like Mr. Musk, owning more wealth than the bottom 52% of American households.
• The top 1% owning more wealth than the bottom 93%.

While the billionaire class becomes “much, much richer,” 60% of our people struggle paycheck to paycheck to afford rent, healthcare, and food for their kids. The richest country in history has shockingly high rates of childhood and senior poverty, and 85 million Americans are uninsured or underinsured.

We rejected the divine right of kings in the 1770s. We will not accept the divine right of oligarchs today.

The Government Shutdown: Health for Tax Breaks

As our government shutdown continues on its 18th day, depriving federal employees of their desperately needed paychecks, let’s be clear about its cause: the Republicans’ disgraceful bill that made massive cuts to health care. This is a direct attack on working families:

• 15 million low-income and working-class Americans are set to lose the health care they need, a change that studies suggest will cause 50,000 unnecessary deaths every single year.
• Over 20 million Americans will see their health insurance premiums double, triple, or even quadruple.

Why? To give a trillion dollars in tax breaks to Mr. Musk, Mr. Bezos, Mr. Zuckerberg, and the rest of the one percent.

To my Republican colleagues, I say: Come back from your month-long vacation, start negotiating, and do not allow the American health care system to be destroyed. End this shutdown!

We Can and Will Prevail

When Americans stand together and refuse to be divided by demagogues, there is nothing we cannot accomplish.

• Yes, we can create a vibrant democracy by ending Citizens United and stopping billionaires from buying elections.
• Yes, we can join the rest of the industrialized world and guarantee health care as a human right for every person.
• Yes, we can make public colleges and universities tuition-free and build millions of units of affordable housing.
• Yes, we can raise the minimum wage to a living wage and expand Social Security.
• Yes, we can lead the world in transforming our energy system and save the planet while creating millions of good jobs.
• Yes, every woman must have the right to control her own body.

And for those who ask, “How will you pay for it?” The answer is simple: At a time when billionaires pay a lower effective tax rate than a nurse or a truck driver, the top 1% and large profitable corporations will pay their fair share in taxes.

The establishment wants you to believe you are powerless. But throughout our history, Americans who fought for justice—from the founders standing up to King George, to abolitionists, workers, women, Black Americans, and the LGBT community—they were told it was impossible, but they won.

Brothers and sisters, they did it then. We can and will do it now.

Look at the crowds in Washington, DC, and in the thousands of communities across the country. This is not the end—this is just the beginning. When we stand united, we will create a nation devoted to freedom, justice, and democracy.