Associated Press Mayor Zohran Mamdani, right, gestures on stage with U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-VT., during a Get Out The Vote rally ahead of New York’s primary election, Thursday, June 18, 2026, in the Brooklyn borough of New York. (AP Photo/Ryan Murphy) In 2014, venture capitalist Nick Hanauer warned that unless the U.S. addressed economic inequality, society would revolt. “Beware, fellow plutocrats,” he warned in a TED Talk, “If we do not do something to fix the glaring economic inequities in our society, the pitchforks will come for us.”
In 2016, Donald Trump sensed the mood. He won the presidency by promising to “break up the rigged system in Washington and empower every American to succeed.” Social scientists attributed his victory to the “revenge of a downwardly mobile white working class that feels ignored by progressive elites.”
Trump won again in 2024 by promising to “end inflation and make America affordable again.” He didn’t mention the persistent concentration of wealth among the country’s economic elite; instead, he blamed Joe Biden, globalization and high taxes.
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), one of the few self-described democratic socialists in Congress, offered a different explanation. “Today, we have more income and wealth inequality than at any time since 1928,” he said in 2017. He attributed it to a “rigged” economy in which billionaires elect politicians who pass policies that favor the upper class.
“The needs, the concerns, the ideas, the dreams of ordinary people are simply an impediment to what they, the oligarchs, are entitled to,” Sanders said. “That is what they really believe.”
That explanation may seem cynical, but many Americans and Democrats apparently agree with it today. As one analyst put it, “Democrats are becoming Bernicrats.” And an overwhelming number of voters may be reaching a teachable (or impeachable) moment about Trump and the Republican Congress.
The Brennan Center for Justice reports that more than 90 percent of voters see corruption as a major problem in politics and government; nearly seven in 10 (68 percent) consider Trump corrupt; 81 percent feel the same about his Cabinet and agency leaders; and 85 percent say the same about Congress.
Asked what they regard as corrupt, 90 percent cited spending taxpayer dollars in ways that don’t benefit the public; 97 percent cited politicians using their offices for personal gain; 94 percent said prioritizing the interests of billionaires; and 94 percent cited bending the rule of law. Trump ticks all the boxes. He engages in “epic corruption in plain sight.“
Clearly, the November elections matter enormously. They will determine whether the next Congress is willing to enforce guardrails against Trump’s corruption. It may also show whether Hanauer’s pitchforks are finally coming out.
So far, voters appear willing to elect more democratic socialists. Conservatives like to conflate socialism with communism, but they are not the same. Democratic socialism promotes economic equality in capitalist constitutional democracies — places like the United States. They embrace government policies that promote equality of economic opportunity.
Voters might ask themselves which form of government best supports life satisfaction. At one time, the U.S. was one of the happiest countries in the world. In 2016, before Trump became president, the U.S. ranked 13th. Now, it ranks 23rd; among people under 30, America ranks 62nd.
Year after year, Nordic nations with progressive social programs dominate the happiness rankings. Eight of the top 10 happiest countries are in Europe. Most provide free healthcare, free education through college, and paid parental leave.
While middle- and lower-income households in the U.S. struggle with the costs of healthcare, education and other necessities, Trump spends millions of taxpayer dollars building monuments to himself. The Iran war has cost U.S. taxpayers more than $113 billion, by one estimate, and over $1 trillion when the war’s economic fallout is counted. While businesses, farmers and families faced high fuel costs, the 100 largest oil companies earned a windfall of $30 million every hour during the war when oil prices were above $100 per barrel.
The Associated Press reports that membership in the Democratic Socialists of America organization has grown from a few thousand to over 100,000 nationwide over the last decade. In 2017, it counted 35 of its members in state and local offices. Last year, it counted more than 250.
Last week, New York voters delivered primary election victories to three congressional candidates endorsed by New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, a democratic socialist. So far this year, candidates backed by the Democratic Socialists of America have won 35 primary elections across the U.S., including upsets against entrenched incumbents at the national and local levels.
Whatever their motivation, voters tired of the mess at the highest levels of government and the lowest tiers of the economy could make Nov. 3 their happiest day in a very long time.
William S. Becker is executive director of the Presidential Climate Action Project.
Add as preferred source on Google Tags 2026 midterm elections Bernie Sanders Democratic socialists Donald Trump Economic inequality Joe Biden William S. Becker Zohran MamdaniCopyright 2026 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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