>> Stephen: LADIES AND
GENTLEMEN WELCOME BACK.
FOLKS-- OH, LADIES AND
GENTLEMEN, OH, LADIES AND
GENTLEMEN
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE )
I'M HERE TO TELL YOU, YOU KNOW--
YOU KNOW AND LOVE MY NEXT GUEST
FROM HIS 2016 PRESIDENTIAL RUN,
HIS WORK AS A SENATOR, AND FROM
THE TRA MOVIES, PLEASE WELCOME
SENATOR BERNIE SANDERS.
♪ ♪ ♪
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE )
♪ ♪ ♪
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE )
>> Stephen: SENATE, GOOD TO
SEE YOU AGAIN.
>> Audience: BERNIE!
BERNIE!
BERNIE!
BERNIE!
BERNIE!
BERNIE!
>> Stephen: WOW.
WOW.
EVERYWHERE YOU GO, RIGHT?
EVERYWHERE YOU GO, OTHER THAN
THE SENATE.
YOUR VERMONT PRIMARY WAS TODAY,
OKAY.
WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?
( LAUGHTER )
SHOULDN'T YOU BE--
>> WELL, I VOTED EYE VOTED IN
THE MORNING.
>> Stephen: OKAY.
>> I WAS AROUND THE STATE THE
OTHER DAY.
I THINK WE WILL DO JUST FINE.
>> Stephen: OKAY, NO WORRIES.
( APPLAUSE )
BECAUSE YOU DON'T-- YOU DON'T
WANT TO PULL A CROWLEY HERE.
>> NO, WE DON'T.
>> Stephen: THAT WAS A
SURPRISE.
CROWLEY DIDN'T THINK HE HAD TO
CAMPAIGN HARD ENOUGH AND
ORCARSIO-CORTEZ CAME IN AND
CLEANED HIS CLOCK.
>> AND THAT WAS A GOOD THING,
TOO.
>> Stephen: ALL RIGHT, YOU
HAVE BEEN CAMPAIGNING WITH-- SHE
USED TO WORK FOR YOU, ACTUALLY,
FOR YOUR CAMPAIGN.
AND YOU'VE BEEN OUT THERE WITH
ALEXANDRIA ORTAWZIO-ORTEZ RIGHT
THERE.
BOTH OF YOU IDENTIFY AS
DEMOCRATIC SOCIALISTS.
WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?
>> I THINK IT MEANS, AMONG OTHER
THINGS, THAT IF YOU WORK 40
HOURS A WEEK IN THE WEALTHIEST
COUNTRY IN THE HISTORY OF THE
WORLD, YOU SHOULD BE EARNING A
LIVING WAGE, 15 BUCKS AN HOUR.
THAT'S WHAT IT MEANS.
( APPLAUSE )
IT MEANS-- IT MEANS-- IT MEANS,
STEPHEN, IT MEANS THAT WE END
THE INTERNATIONAL DISGRACE OF
THE UNITED STATES BEING THE ONLY
MAJOR COUNTRY ON EARTH NOT TO
GUARANTEE HEALTH CARE TO ALL
PEOPLE AS A RIGHT WHILE WE END
UP SPENDING TWICE AS MUCH PER
CAPITA ON HEALTH CARE AS ANY
OTHER MAJOR NATION.
( APPLAUSE )
IT-- IT MEANS THAT WE UNDERSTAND
THAT THE FUTURE OF THIS COUNTRY
ARE OUR YOUNG PEOPLE, AND THAT
IT IS INSANE THAT HUNDREDS OF
THOUSANDS OF BRIGHT YOUNG KIDS
CANNOT AFFORD TO GO TO COLLEGE
BECAUSE OF THE INCOME OF THEIR
FAMILIES, AND MANY OTHERS ARE
LEAVING SCHOOL DEEPLY IN DEBT,
AND WE'RE GOING TO MAKE PUBLIC
COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES
TUITION FREE.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE )
AND IT-- AND IT MEANS THAT ITS
GLOBAL CITIZENS, PEOPLE
UNDERSTAND WE HAVE A MORAL
OBLIGATION TO LEAVE A HEALTHY
PLANET TO OUR CHILDREN AND
GRANDCHILDREN.
WE'RE GOING TO STAND UP TO
TRUMP, AND WE'RE GOING TO
TRANSFORM OUR ENERGY SYSTEM IN
THIS COUNTRY AWAY FROM FOSSIL
FUEL TO ENERGY EFFICIENCY, AND
SUSTAINABLE ENERGYS.
THAT'S WHAT IT MEANS.
( APPLAUSE )
>> Stephen: OKAY, SO, OTHER
PEOPLE, OTHER PEOPLE HAVE
ESPOUSED THOSE IDEAS WITHOUT
CALLING THEMSELVES SOCIALISTS.
EVER SINCE THE NEW DEAL AND
CERTAINLY SINCE THE GREAT
SOCIETY, THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY
HAS BEEN ASSOCIATED WITH THE
SOCIAL SAFETY NET AND
ESSENTIALLY BEEN SOCIALISM
CURIOUS.
( LAUGHTER )
BUT WHY DO YOU NEED TO CALL
YOURSELF STOACIALIST, BECAUSE
THAT HAS SUCH-- THAT'S FREIGHTED
WITH SO MUCH NEGATIVITY IN THE
UNITED STATES.
>> I'LL TELL YOU WHY.
>> Stephen: I'M JUST SAYING
THAT, PEOPLE ARE VERY EXCITED
ABOUT ORCARSIO-ORCEZ, I'VE HAD
HER IN THE SE SEAT.
BUT THE PEOPLE SHE CAMPAIGNED
DID NOT WIN THEIR PRIMARIES.
ONLY HALF THE PEOPLE YOU HAVE
CAMPAIGNED FOR HAVE WON THEIR
PRIMARIES. MAYBE THERE'S A
TAINT OF SOCIALISM THAT TURNS
PEOPLE OFF.
>> I DON'T THINK SO.
I THINK THE IDEAS WE HAVE BEEN
TALKING ABOUT, ALMOST WITHOUT
EXCEPTION, STEPHEN, ARE NOW
IDEAS THAT ARE MAINSTREAM IDEAS
THAT ARE SUPPORTED BY THE VAST
MAJORITY OF AMERICAN PEOPLE.
AND I THINK, ALSO, PEOPLE IN
THEIR GUT UNDERSTAND THAT WE'RE
LIVING IN A REALLY STRANGE
MOMENT IN AMERICAN HISTORY,
ABOVE AND BEYOND DONALD TRUMP--
WHICH IS VERY STRANGE.
( LAUGHTER ).
>> Stephen: WHAT IS STRANGER
THAN DONALD TRUMP?
WHAT IS STRANGER--
>> THIS IS WHAT MIGHT BE--
( LAUGHTER )
MIGHT BE STRANGER IS THAT WE'RE
LOOKING AT A TIME WHERE WE HAVE
AN OUT-OF-CONTROL CAPITALISM,
WHERE THE GREED OF THE PEOPLE ON
TOP IS REALLY UNBELIEVABLE.
I MEAN--
( APPLAUSE )
RIGHT NOW, RIGHT NOW, IN
AMERICA, YOU'VE GOT THREE PEOPLE
WHO OWN MORE WEALTH THAN THE
BOTTOM 50% OF THE AMERICAN
PEOPLE.
YOU'VE GOT THE ONE-TENTH OF 1%
OWNING MORE WEALTH THAN THE
BOTTOM.
YOU HAVE ONE GUY, JEFF BASISOS,
OF AMAZON, HIS WEALTH IS
INCREASING EVERY SINGLE DAY BY
$250 MILLION A DAY, BUT HE PAYS
HIS WORKERS-- MANY OF HIS
WORKERS-- WAGES THAT ARE SO LOW
THAT MANY OF THEM ARE ON FOOD
STAMPS OR MEDICAID.
YOU'VE GOT A SITUATION TODAY
WHERE THE BIG-MONEY INTERESTS
CAN NOW CONTRIBUTE HUNDREDS AND
HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS
INTO ELECTIONS SOELECT
CANDIDATES WHO REPRESENT THE
WEALTHWEALTHET AND POWERFUL, WHI
SURND MINING AMERICAN DEMOCRACY.
AND I THINK PEOPLE ARE SICK AND
TIRED OF THE GREED AND THE POWER
OF A HANDFUL OF PEOPLE ON TOP.
THEY WANT A GOVERNMENT WHICH
REPRESENTS ALL OF US, NOT JUST
THE 1%.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE )
>> Stephen: WELL, WHO DO YOU--
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE )
I THINK-- I THINK ALL THAT IS
WELL TAKEN.
WHO DO YOU BLAME?
DO YOU THINK THAT THE DEMOCRATS
DO A BETTER JOB OF STAIRING DOWN
BIG MONEY AND CORPORATIONS AND
THE EXCESSES OF LATE-STAGE
CAPITALISM, AS MANY PEOPLE CALL
IT?
OR DO YOU BLAME THE REPUBLICANS
TOTALLY FOR THIS?
>> WELL, I THINK WHAT WE VANOW
IS A REPUBLICAN PARTY WHICH IN
THE LAST 30 YEARS HAS MOVED
VERY, VERY FAR TO THE RIGHT.
YOU HAVE THE KOCH BROTHERS, ONE
OF THE WEALTHIEST FAMILIES IN
THIS PARTY WHAT'S IDEOLOGY IS
THE IDEOLOGY OF THE REPUBLICAN
PARTY AND TRUMP.
YOU HAVE A PRESIDENT, IN DONALD
TRUMP, WHO CAMPAIGN-- IT'S NOT
FORGET-- TOLD THE AMERICAN
PEOPLE HE WOULD NOT CUT SOCIAL
SECURITY, MEDICARE, AND
MEDICAID.
AND THEN BECAUSE HE BELIEVES IN
THIS TRUMP EDOLOGY, HE BROUGHT A
BUDGET FORWARD WHICH CALLED FOR
A $1 TRILLION CUTS IN MEDICAID.
HE CALLED FOR $500 BILLION IN
MEDICARE, AND $60 BILLION IN THE
SOCIAL SECURITY DISABILITY FUND.
THIS IS AFTER HE GAVE $1
TRILLION IN TAX BREAKS TO THE
TOP 1% OVER A 10-YEAR PERIOD.
>> Stephen: BUT THE DEMOCRATS
ARE ALSO SEEM BEHOLDEN TO BIG
MONEY, TOO.
>> ABSOLUTELY.
>> Stephen: IT'S NOT LIKE THEY
TURN DOWN THE CHECKS.
>> YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT.
AND I THINK THAT WHAT I HAVE
BEEN TRYING TO DO, WHAT
ALEXANDRIA IS TRYING TO DO, IS
TO TRANSFORM THE DEMOCRATIC
PARTY SO THAT THEY OPEN THEIR
DOORS TO YOUNG PEOPLE AND
WORKING PEOPLE AND BECOMING A
PARTY OF ORDINARY AMERICANS, NOT
JUST BIG-MONEY INTEREST.
AND THAT'S SOMETHING I HAVE BEEN
WORKING ON REALLY HARD.
( APPLAUSE )
>> Stephen: IF THINGS ARE.
>> --
>> AND LET ME JUST-- LET ME JUST
SAY, STEPHEN, ALL OVER THIS
COUNTRY WHAT WE ARE SEEING IS
SOMETHING EXTRAORDINARY.
WE'RE SEEING A LOT OF PEOPLE FOR
THE FIRST TIME, OFTEN WOMEN,
PEOPLE OF COLOR, YOUNG PEOPLE--
RUNNING FOR OFFICE FROM SCHOOL
BOARD-- OR IN THE CASE OF
ALEXANDRIA, TO THE U.S.
CONGRESS.
AND NOT ALL OF THEM, BUT MANY OF
THEM ARE ACTUALLY WINNING.
>> Stephen: WE HAVE TO TAKE A
LITTLE BREAK, BUT WE'LL BE RIGHT
BACK WITH MORE SENATOR BERNIE
SANDERS.
