On April 12, Senator Bernie Sanders took the John F. Kennedy Jr. Forum stage at the Harvard Kennedy School’s Institute of Politics. Institute of Politics Director Setti Warren spoke first, warning the audience to adhere to Harvard Kennedy School dissent policies and refrain from protesting—an uncommon preface for a Forum event. Former New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio soon followed to introduce Senator Sanders.
“One thing people can agree with across the spectrum—democracy is threatened in the United States of America,” began de Blasio. “It’s a challenge, it’s a question.” He then spoke about Senator Sanders’ impact, stating that “[he] has shown us that things can happen that we all thought were impossible.”
Senator Sanders soon took the stage and began with a brief speech. “There is one issue that really does not get a lot of discussion…and that is, in our country today, we are moving rapidly toward an oligarchic form of society.” Senator Sanders went on to discuss the existence of major political action committees (Super PACs), private equity firms, and large corporations driving wealth inequality upward, comparing such groups to “class warfare.” He mentioned that the involvement of these outside organizations does not just result in wealth inequality; the integrity of political campaigns is also at stake. Instead of one political candidate campaigning against another, it is now “campaigns against this Super PAC versus that Super PAC.”
Sanders went on to describe the impact of large corporations, emphasizing the “increased concentration of ownership in an unprecedented way” in nearly every sector of the economy. Such corporations play a role in the media as well, which shapes “all of the issues we’re supposed to be talking about,” he said. “But somehow or another, when three people own more wealth than the bottom half of American society, is that an important issue? Guess not, I don’t hear about it too much. Do you?”
“In the past 50 years, more than 50 trillion dollars of wealth has been redistributed from the bottom 90% to the top 1%,” explained Sanders. He recalled how 60% of the American public are living from one paycheck to the next, and he connected this to his upbringing. “I know about paycheck to paycheck. I grew up in a family living paycheck to paycheck, and that means you worry every day about how you’re gonna pay the rent, how you’re gonna pay for childcare…” He emphasized that this is the root of peoples’ anger in America—the standard of living has sharply declined for hardworking citizens.
After his speech concluded, which was met with an eruption of applause from the audience, journalist and Spring 2024 IOP Resident Fellow Alison King joined Sanders and moderated the rest of the event. King’s first question for Sanders was about the 2024 presidential race; she asked for his thoughts on the effectiveness of President Joe Biden’s campaign and concerns around Biden’s age. Sanders commented that he felt Biden’s campaigning was doing better. He was adamant in his belief that Trump should not be re-elected and that Biden is the more fit candidate for office.
“You’re the President of the United States… You don’t sit around saying ‘You come up with all these things.’ You have good staff around you, and most importantly it’s what you believe in,” Sanders explained. “He’s assembled good people around him…[and] is more than capable of being a strong president for this country.”
King and Sanders also discussed Israel and Hamas, referencing Sanders’s April 11 op-ed published in the Boston Globe. “Israel has the right to respond to Hamas. It does not have the right to go to war against the Palestinian people,” Sanders wrote in his article. “Not another nickel for the Netanyahu government if its present policies continue.”
He reiterated these sentiments in his conversation at the Forum. “[This war has] led to a horrific humanitarian disaster,” he said. “The majority of the American people—and polls show this—do not want their taxpayer dollars to go to the starvation of children in Gaza.”
“We are watching and monitoring very closely whether or not humanitarian aid is getting in. Israel says they’re going to do better. I don’t trust them,” Sanders added, referring to the widespread starvation, displacement, and threats toward aid workers occurring in Gaza. “If I had control of this situation, I would not give a nickel more to that government unless I saw a radical change of policy.”
Wrapping up their conversation, King and Sanders discussed the Senator’s new proposal for a 32-hour work week without a reduction to pay and his adamance toward improved health policies and Medicare for all. “Healthcare is not a healthcare issue. It’s a political issue. It’s an economic issue,” Sanders explained. “Is the healthcare system in America broken and dysfunctional? Raise your hand if you think it is. Raise your hand if you think it’s not, ” Sanders asked the audience, in which almost the full audience raised their hands yes. Sanders then surprised the Forum with his announcement that he has not yet determined whether he plans to run for re-election for his seat in the Senate.
The discussion next moved to audience questions. Two audience members pressed Sanders on his stance on the Israel-Hamas war, with one telling him, “I first also want to express on behalf of your many supporters, you’re tiptoeing around the term ‘permanent ceasefire’ six months into this war against Gaza.”
Yet Sanders defended his role on the issue, responding that he believes he has been “consistent” in helping to lead the effort in the Senate to end the war. “It’s important to understand and act on the horror that’s taking place right now and try to prevent it,” he said. “I’ll let the International Court of Justice determine what institutes genocide.”
Additional audience questions included ones asking Sanders about a wealth tax on billionaires and the role of nuclear energy in the future. One student asked for advice for Harvard undergraduates considering multiple career pathways, citing how Harvard has become “a hot spot for recruiting for private equity, investment banking, and other industries.”
“A lot of young people are attracted by the money, and there’s a lot of money out there for you,” Sanders responded. “And if you work for government, you’ll make a fraction. If you’re a lawyer and you work as a public defender, you’ll make starvation wages… You have to decide what to do with your life. But I would hope that many of you would choose to stand on the side of justice and not on the side of big money.”
“You are getting the best education that America can provide, and I think you need to make very fundamental decisions,” Sanders said, directly to the students of Harvard. “We are on the Titanic, and it’s going down. And you have got to decide whether or not you can play a role in preventing that destruction. We need you. We need great doctors. We need nurses. We need dentists. We need people willing to serve the people.”
Sanders concluded by requesting that Harvard students use their education and motivations to dedicate themselves to public service and improving our democracy. “I’m here to urge you with your very good education to stand on the side of working families and people who are struggling and work hard to create the kind of nation that all of us will be proud of.”
Gauri Sood ’26 (gaurisood@college.harvard.edu) and Layla Chaaraoui ’26 (laylachaaraoui@college.harvard.edu) found this to be their favorite Forum so far.