Watch: Bernie Sanders reacts to Trump's Iran strikes in real time at 'Fighting Oligarchy' rally
Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., was delivering remarks at a "Fighting Oligarchy" rally in Tusla, Okla., on Saturday night when President Donald Trump announced the United States had successfully attacked three nuclear sites in Iran.
An aide interrupted Sanders' remarks to deliver the message Trump had just blasted off on Truth Social.
"We have completed our very successful attack on the three Nuclear sites in Iran, including Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan," Trump said in the post.
Sanders read the piece of paper with Trump's Truth Social post to his supporters, shaking his head as the socialist senator processed what the president had just announced. "No more wars!" the crowd chanted.
Bernie Sanders Says Israeli Pm 'Wrong' Both In The Past And Now: 'We Must Not Get Involved In Netanyahu's War'
Trump added in the post: "All planes are now outside of Iran air space. A full payload of BOMBS was dropped on the primary site, Fordow. All planes are safely on their way home. Congratulations to our great American Warriors. There is not another military in the World that could have done this. NOW IS THE TIME FOR PEACE! Thank you for your attention to this matter."
Read On The Fox News App
Bernie Sanders Says Largest 'Fighting Oligarchy' Rally With Aoc Is Making Trump, Musk 'Very Nervous'
Sanders nodded along as the crowd continued to chant, "No more wars!" before responding to the news in real time.
He said the news was not only "alarming," but "so grossly unconstitutional."
"All of you know that the only entity that can take this country to war is the U.S. Congress. The president does not have the right," Sanders shouted.
Sanders joins the bipartisan coalition in Congress who have called out the "unconstitutionality" of Trump striking Iran without congressional approval.
A bipartisan War Powers Resolution was introduced in the House of Representatives this week as strikes between Israel and Iran raged on, and the world stood by to see if Trump would strike. Congress has the sole power to declare war under Article I of the Constitution.
The War Powers Resolution seeks to "remove United States Armed Forces from unauthorized hostilities in the Islamic State of Iran" and directs Trump to "terminate" the deployment of American troops against Iran without an "authorized declaration of war or specific authorization for use of military forces against Iran."
"The American people do not want more war, more death!" Sanders said. "It might be a good idea if we concentrated on the problems that exist in Oklahoma and Vermont rather than getting involved in another war that the American people do not want."
But Sanders told the crowd not to give up on their vision for America's future.
"In this moment in American history, what we have got to do in Vermont and Oklahoma, in Texas, all over this country, is stand up and fight back, and tell them this is our country!" Sanders said.
Sanders has been a vocal opponent of the United States joining Israel in its war against Iran as Trump weighed striking its nuclear facilities.
"Netanyahu is not the President of the United States," Sanders said on social media earlier this week.
"He should not be determining U.S. foreign and military policy. If the people of Israel support his decision to start a war with Iran, that is their business and their war. The United States must not be a part of it," he added.
The democratic socialist has been a vocal opponent of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's war against Gaza since Israel retaliated following Hamas' terrorist attacks on Oct. 7, 2023.
After Israel launched preemptive strikes against Iran's nuclear facilities last week, Sanders said it was "just his latest violation of international law," likening Netanyahu to a "war criminal."
The Vermont senator was speaking at his second rally of the day, part of his southern swing of the "Fighting Oligarchy" tour that Sanders started in response to Trump's sweeping second-term agenda.
Rep. Greg Casar, D-Tx., and former Rep. Beto O'Rourke, D-Tx., are slated to join the Vermont senator at his rallies in Texas on Sunday.
And Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., joined Sanders on his Western swing of the tour earlier this year.
The tour targets deep red districts currently held by Republicans, a strategy picked up by Gov. Tim Walz, D-Minn., who hosted town halls in Republican congressional districts, and the Democratic National Committee (DNC) through their "People's Town Halls" across the United States.
Sanders also held a rally in House Speaker Mike Johnson's hometown of Shreveport, La., on Saturday.Original article source: Watch: Bernie Sanders reacts to Trump's Iran strikes in real time at 'Fighting Oligarchy' rally
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
21 minutes ago
- Yahoo
The dollar sees a rebound after US strikes Iran, but can it continue?
The dollar rose on Monday as uncertainty over the Israel Iran conflict persisted following US strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities over the weekend. By around 2.45 CEST, the Dollar Index had risen 0.61% in daily trading to 99.31. Over the month, it showed a 0.19% increase, although its year-to-date value was still down almost 9%, failing to win back losses linked to erratic policies from the Trump administration. US President Donald Trump said that the weekend strikes had caused 'monumental damage', although some Iranian officials downplayed the impact. The full extent of the damage could not immediately be determined by the UN's nuclear watchdog. Israel — meanwhile — continued with its strikes on Iran on Monday, while Tehran vowed that it would 'never surrender to bullying and oppression'. Several nations warned Iran against a retaliatory closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a shipping lane responsible for around 20% of global oil and gas flows. 'In this morning's trading session, the dollar staged an expected rebound. The demonstration of US military strength, as well as the fear of higher oil prices, weakened the euro,' said ING economists in a note. Higher oil prices would likely drive up inflation and discourage the US Federal Reserve from cutting rates in the near future. This would spell bad news for US consumers but would simultaneously increase the dollar's attractiveness to investors. 'Looking ahead, one of the key questions is whether US involvement in the conflict could restore the dollar's safe-haven appeal. Here, a crucial factor will be the duration of any potential Strait of Hormuz blockade. The longer such a blockade lasts, the higher the likelihood that the value of safe-haven alternatives like the euro and yen is eroded, and the dollar can enjoy a decent recovery,' said ING economists. Related Is Trump destroying the dollar - and what does it mean for the euro? Energy in Europe is also at stake as Israel-Iran conflict escalates The greenback's value has dropped significantly this year as policies from the Trump administration have spooked investors, damaging the currency's status as a safe-haven asset. Signals worrying investors are not solely linked to trade policy, but also include a high US deficit, the cost-slashing bureau DOGE, sudden cuts to foreign aid, withdrawals from international treaties, and the prospect of financial deregulation. Greg Hirt, chief investment officer with Allianz Global Investors, told Euronews that 'structural issues around a twin deficit and the Trump administration's volatile handling of tariffs should continue to weigh on an overvalued US dollar'. Even so, he noted that the 'short term potential for higher oil prices will likely affect the Chinese and European economies to a greater extent, as they are more dependent on oil imports than the US'. Ryan Sweet, chief US economist at Oxford Economics, reiterated this point, noting that 'the US economy is essentially energy independent but others are not, including Japan as it imports most of its oil from the Middle East'. Sweet told Euronews that dollar gains are positive but still muted as 'currency markets are in a wait and see mode'. There is also significant uncertainty around President Trump's tariff deadline, with a 90-day pause on so-called 'reciprocal' duties set to expire on 9 July.
Forbes
22 minutes ago
- Forbes
DOJ May Consider Dropping Its HPE-Juniper Networks Merger Challenge
Abigail Slater, US assistant attorney general nominee for US President Donald Trump, during a Senate ... More Judiciary Committee confirmation hearing in Washington, DC, US, on Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2025. Democratic senators pressed President Donald Trump's nominee for Deputy Attorney General, Todd Blanche, on politicization of the Justice Department and recent efforts to gather names of FBI agents who worked on cases related to the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol. Photographer: Daniel Heuer/Bloomberg © 2025 Bloomberg Finance LP The U.S. Department of Justice's challenge to the proposed acquisition of Juniper Networks by HPE signals a concerning trend in merger enforcement that could undermine American economic vitality in a crucial high-tech sector. While regulatory scrutiny of consolidations is vital, a blanket skepticism toward merger activity, particularly one that overlooks significant procompetitive benefits, risks stifling innovation and weakening the very markets it purports to protect. As I have previously discussed, robust merger and acquisition (M&A) activity is indispensable for a dynamic economy, facilitating capital reallocation to higher-valued uses and driving efficiency and innovation. In the fast-evolving landscape of enterprise networking, the proposed HPE-Juniper merger presents a compelling case for its potential to enhance, rather than diminish, competition. Tellingly, the European Commission (EC) recognized as much when it approved the acquisition. The Proposed Merger DOJ alleges that the merger would harm competition by bringing together the second (HPE) and third (Juniper) largest wireless local network providers of wireless local area network (WLAN) in the United States. DOJ stresses that 'this would leave U.S. enterprises facing two companies commanding over 70% of the market: the post-merger HPE and market leader Cisco Systems Inc." Factors Suggesting No Harm To Competition DOJ's complaint ignores a variety of factors strongly suggesting that the merger would not harm competition. It relies primarily on market concentration, which modern antitrust economics views as only the starting point in determining whether a merger might reduce competition. HPE and Juniper point out that DOJ's market definition ignores 'a broad set of players' that are competing for WLAN business as customers shift to AI and cloud-driven strategies. Indeed, the EC found that HPE-Juniper would 'continue to face competition from a wide range of competitors, including strong and established players on each of the markets.' Even accepting DOJ's market definition, Cisco would remain the largest player post-merger. The merged firm would be positioned to intensify beneficial competition with Cisco. As an industry analyst explains, if 'DOJ blocks the HPE-Juniper deal, Cisco stands to gain the most." If the merger goes forward, however, there could likely be increased pressure on all players to innovate and offer better value. DOJ is silent about the 'remaining 30%' of the market. As Scalia Professor John Yun puts it, 'nearly 67% of sales [would] occur outside of a combined HPE-Juniper." The Case for Beneficial Efficiencies The DOJ's narrow focus also risks missing substantial efficiency gains that could accrue to consumers and the broader economy. Combining HPE's extensive enterprise reach and complementary product portfolio with Juniper's cutting-edge, AI-powered Mist platform holds immense promise. This synergy is not merely about eliminating redundancies, but about forging a more integrated and sophisticated product offering. Such a combination could streamline product development, accelerate the deployment of advanced networking solutions, and yield significant cost savings that can be passed on to customers through more competitive pricing or reinvestment in research and development. These are precisely the merger-specific efficiencies, creating a formidable force for innovation, that procompetitive merger analysis should recognize. The Global Dimension The global competitive landscape, particularly the rise of foreign competitors like Huawei, adds another layer of strategic importance to this merger. When considering the broader enterprise networking market, which includes a diverse array of global players, a combined HPE-Juniper likely would create another robust and credible American firm. In an increasingly interconnected and competitive global economy, enhancing American competitiveness in key high-tech sectors is paramount. A stronger, more innovative HPE-Juniper entity would be better positioned to compete globally, not just domestically, thereby bolstering the U.S.'s strategic advantage in critical digital infrastructure. Fostering highly competitive domestic firms capable of driving technological advances and economic growth is particularly significant against a backdrop of intensifying international rivalry. Dismissing these potential gains risks unintended negative consequences for American leadership in a sector vital to national security and prosperity. DOJ Should Consider Withdrawing Its Complaint Applying narrow and economically dated approaches to merger analysis risks stifling the very innovation and economic growth that America needs. DOJ may wish to seriously weigh the EC's pragmatic stance in this case, based on a sophisticated assessment of competition in a dynamic and evolving high-tech market. Continuation of the DOJ case against the HPE-Juniper merger omits consideration of key economic realities. This merger promises not only significant efficiencies and product enhancements, but also the creation of a stronger American competitor poised to challenge market leader Cisco and contend more effectively in the global high-tech arena. A nuanced approach that prioritizes enhanced American competitiveness and innovation, rather than an outdated and simplistic focus centered on the number of market players, is essential for continued economic vitality in this critically important sector. More generally, the Trump Administration's commitment to an 'America First' agenda would be promoted by supporting mergers that enhance the global competitive strength of American firms in key high tech sectors without diminishing domestic competition. Opposing such mergers would seem to be at odds with America First. An interim Antitrust Division head approved the HPE-Juniper challenge a mere 10 days after the January presidential inauguration. Now that they have assumed their posts, Attorney General Pam Bondi and Assistant Attorney General for Antitrust Division Gail Slater may want to consider these factors carefully in refining DOJ merger policy. (Federal Trade Commission Chairman Andrew Ferguson may also wish to take note.) Such a consideration may warrant dropping the merger challenge to the HPE-Juniper merger prior to the July 9 trial date.
Bloomberg
22 minutes ago
- Bloomberg
Iran's Missile Strike on Qatar Fits De-Escalation Playbook
Iran's missile attack on a US air base in Qatar was telegraphed well in advance, suggesting Tehran intended a symbolic show of force while offering a way to de-escalate after US airstrikes over the weekend. In a social media post on Monday afternoon, President Donald Trump called the strike a 'very weak response' and thanked Iran 'for giving us early notice, which made it possible for no lives to be lost, and nobody to be injured.'
