Latest news with #FightingOligarchyTour
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
AOC takes victory lap as Trump-Elon nuclear breakup confirms everything she and Bernie Sanders warned
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York told The Independent that President Donald Trump and Elon Musk's feud confirmed what she and Sen. Bernie Sanders have warned about ultra-wealthy Americans. 'I mean, it was a long time coming,' said the progressive firebrand, who is better known to many Americans simply by her initials, AOC. The self-described democratic socialist congresswoman has spent much of the last few months traveling with Sanders, an independent socialist from Vermont by way of Brooklyn. The two have spent much of the first few months of Trump's second presidency traveling the country as part of their 'Fighting Oligarchy Tour.' 'I don't think that the whole state of the country should be with two should be concentrated in two guys with massive egos that are fighting with each other,' she said. On Thursday, Musk, who enthusiastically endorsed Trump and bankrolled his campaign in 2024, went ballistic on the president, ultimately saying that Trump was 'in the Epstein files,' which explained why they had not been released. Musk then ramped up the rhetoric even more by supporting his impeachment. This came after Musk credited himself with Trump's victory. 'Without me, Trump would have lost the election, Dems would control the House and the Republicans would be 51-49 in the Senate,' Musk posted on X. 'Such ingratitude.' The feud kicked off in earnest on Tuesday, when Musk called the 'One Big, Beautiful Bill,' which the House of Representatives passed last month, an 'outrageous, pork-filled, disgusting abomination.' Musk's words caused a headache for Republicans in the Senate, who hope to pass their own version of the legislation, which seeks to extend the tax cuts Trump signed in his first presidency, would ramp up spending on the US-Mexico border for immigration enforcement and slash spending for social services. Other Democrats like Rep. Sarah McBride of Delaware called the feud the 'big, beautiful breakup.' The fight between the world's richest man and the most powerful leader in the world flooded the internet with memes. The intra-personal feud between the two is a sharp turn from when the Tesla CEO and X owner billed himself as the 'First Buddy' who led the Department of Government Efficiency and regularly made the trek across Pennsylvania Avenue to meet with lawmakers whenever they feared services their constituents used would be subjected to his 'Chainsaw of Bureaucracy.' In recent months, Ocasio-Cortez has become a major player in the House Democratic caucus. Despite losing her bid to become the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, she joined the powerful House Energy and Commerce Committee, which not only handles energy policies like health care. One recent poll showed Ocasio-Cortez to be more popular than either the president or Kamala Harris, the 2024 Democratic nominee for president. Others have suggested that she either stage a primary challenge or succeed Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer.
Newsweek
02-05-2025
- Politics
- Newsweek
Is Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Actually Electable?
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. "Impossible is nothing," Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez told a cheering crowd of more than 12,000 in deep-red Idaho. The crowd was 20,000 strong in Utah the day before, and the New York Democrat would help draw over 30,000 to a rally in a Trump-won California district the day after, as she crisscrosses the U.S. with Senator Bernie Sanders on his "Fighting Oligarchy Tour." "Don't let them trick us into thinking we are enemies," Ocasio-Cortez told the packed Ford Idaho Center in Nampa. "We are one." The rousing message made it into a 90‑second video of the event—shared on X last week—which pulled in 8.5 million views and reignited an old question: Could the youngest woman ever elected to Congress become the youngest person ever elected president? Ocasio-Cortez, who has represented New York's 14th congressional district since 2019, told reporters it was "just a video," but 2028 noise is already buzzing among social media pundits and political analysts. Is Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Actually Electable? Is Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Actually Electable? Photo Illustration"She is running and she is going to be more formidable than some Democrats seem to think," said media commentator Chris Cillizza in a post responding to the viral X video. With more than three years until the next presidential election, announcements for 2028 contenders are still distant, and Democrats must reflect on their 2024 defeat to President Donald Trump. Whether Ocasio-Cortez could emerge as the next leader of the Democratic Party, and go on to win a general election, however, depends on internal party divisions and competition from other candidates as well as the extent to which America can stomach a progressive candidate. Newsweek contacted representatives for Ocasio-Cortez by email to comment on this story. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Grows in the Polls If the former bartender from the Bronx does decide to run, she will first have to convince Democratic voters in what is likely to be a crowded primary. Pollster Nate Silver, founder of FiveThirtyEight, argued earlier in April that Ocasio-Cortez's youth and media savvy could make her a strong 2028 candidate, although he cautioned that she might choose not to run. Ocasio-Cortez is 35 years old now, the minimum age required to be eligible for president. Recent polls reflect a growing appetite among Democrats for Ocasio-Cortez's candidacy. A Quantus Insights survey of 700 Democrats found her to be the second-choice candidate for 2028 with 14 percent support. She was behind former Vice President Kamala Harris, who lost to Trump in November and got 30 percent in the Quantus poll. The poll was conducted between April 21 and April 23 and has a margin of error of +/- 3.1 percent. Alexandria Ocasio Cortez speaking at the Fighting the Oligarchy Los Angeles. 36 thousand people attended the event. Grand Park, Los Angeles, CA., USA April 12, 2025 Alexandria Ocasio Cortez speaking at the Fighting the Oligarchy Los Angeles. 36 thousand people attended the event. Grand Park, Los Angeles, CA., USA April 12, 2025 Photo by Ted Soqui/SIPA USA)(Sipa via AP Images William F. Hall, adjunct professor at Webster University, told Newsweek that Ocasio-Cortez poses a "serious threat" for the nomination, citing her "huge rally turnouts" and strong poll numbers. Jacob Neiheisel, an associate professor in the Department of Political Science at the University at Buffalo noted that her prospects hinge on how Democrats interpret their 2024 defeat—whether they believe Harris being "too moderate" hurt the party or not. "In the wake of a loss, parties tend to 'double down' on whatever strategy they had in the previous campaign," he said. "Typically, this means being more conservative or more liberal if the perception among insiders is that they weren't sufficiently 'pure' enough to excite the base. It's not clear what Democrats are thinking on this dimension. If the internal narrative is that Harris tried to be too moderate, then someone like AOC might have some appeal. I simply don't know where the party is in terms of the narrative that they are constructing surrounding Harris' loss." AOC Faces Same Challenges as Bernie Sanders While there has been much soul-searching and analysis about Harris' election defeat, according to polling conducted after the election by J.L. Partners for the two main reasons the then-vice president lost was because of voter's reticence to elect a woman and because of economic concerns. Thomas Gift, a political scientist who runs the Centre on U.S. Politics at University College London (UCL) agreed and said Ocasio-Cortez was likely to come up against opposition similar to the opposition Sanders faced when he ran for the Democratic nomination. In 2016, the Independent from Vermont garnered around 19 percent of the vote in the Democratic primary. He dropped out in 2020 after receiving over 1,000 delegates. "AOC is a celebrity with a near cult following," Gift told Newsweek. "However, the same problem that Bernie Sanders ran into is the one AOC will run into if she aspires for the White House. It's hard for a quasi-avowed socialist to win a national election in the U.S. America remains a center-right country, and that's not changing anytime soon. "While AOC clearly speaks to the populist, left-wing base of her party, it remains unclear whether she widen her circle of support and pick off a certain fraction of former Trump voters and moderate Democrats. In a Democratic primary, she'll be picked apart for fringe views on a litany of cultural issues and her big government approach to policymaking." Ocasio-Cortez would likely be up against a host of moderate Democrats, including several prominent state governors, such as Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania, Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan and Andy Beshear of Kentucky. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) walks on the floor of United Center ahead of the Democratic National Convention (DNC) on August 18, 2024, in Chicago, Illinois. AOC addressed supporters and politicians on night one of... Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) walks on the floor of United Center ahead of the Democratic National Convention (DNC) on August 18, 2024, in Chicago, Illinois. AOC addressed supporters and politicians on night one of the DNC Monday. MoreIf Ocasio-Cortez wins the Democratic nomination, she will then face the electorate at large and run for president against the Republican nominee—likely to be Vice President JD Vance. A Siena College poll of 802 New York state voters found that 21 percent of Republicans now view her favorably—up from just six percent in 2019. Neiheisel said this "could just be a reflection of greater familiarity with her in the state" or because New Yorkers might "see her as one of the more reasonable" members of the so-called "squad", a group of progressives in Congress. And a Gallup poll in January suggested she had a net favorability rating of -10 percent among Americans, suggesting her popularity is far from assured. Thomas Whalen, an associate professor who teaches U.S. politics at Boston University, told Newsweek Ocasio-Cortez was too progressive to win over the electorate. "AOC has as much chance of winning the White House as the Las Vegas Raiders have in winning the Super Bowl, which is to say none at all," he said. "Her progressive stances on the economy, women's reproductive rights, immigration and healthcare will not appeal to swing voters in the battleground states, especially more traditionally conservative suburbanites. "Also, as two of the last three presidential elections have shown, slightly left of center female nominees are not electable due to traditional culturally biased attitudes against women in positions of high authority. "It's the last political frontier or, to be more precise, the last glass ceiling to be overcome. 'Do Not Underestimate AOC,' Republicans Warn Mark Shanahan, an expert in American politics at the University of Surrey in the U.K., said Ocasio-Cortez doesn't play as well with "older, more centrist Democrats" and is seen as radical by some states where "Democrats have to appeal to the center-right as much as the center-left." "The USA is an inherently conservative capitalist country and therefore it will always be hard for a true progressive to win the middle ground to a necessary extent to win the White House," he told Newsweek. Representative Alexandria Ocasio Cortez (D-New York) and Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) share a moment onstage during a rally on March 21 at Civic Center Park in Denver, Colorado. Representative Alexandria Ocasio Cortez (D-New York) and Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) share a moment onstage during a rally on March 21 at Civic Center Park in Denver, some conservative voices are sounding alarms about Ocasio-Cortez's potential. "Just a word of warning to the Republicans, to my party, do not underestimate AOC, she's young, she's vibrant, she's attractive," former Trump Treasury official Monica Crowley told Fox News last November. "I think she's wrong on everything, but she does have real grassroot support. And all the energy and activism in the Democrat party remains with the revolutionary left, of which she is a part." "She's going to run and her message of economic populism is more powerful than people are giving her credit for," conservative political commentator Meghan McCain predicted earlier this month. Money could tip the scales. Ocasio-Cortez raised approximately $15.16 million during the 2023–2024 election cycle for her 2024 congressional reelection campaign, according to Federal Election Commission data. The average for House members that year was $3.31 million, according to OpenSecrets. And in the first quarter of 2025, Ocasio-Cortez achieved her strongest fundraising quarter to date, bringing in $9.6 million from 266,000 individual donors, with an average contribution of $21. If successful, she would become the first female president of the United States, and the youngest ever person to hold the office. A President Ocasio-Cortez would also beat the record for the U.S. president with the longest surname in history. That polysyllabic distinction currently belongs to former President Dwight D. Eisenhower, who served in office between 1953 and 1961, and whose last name contains 10 letters. Two fewer than Ocasio-Cortez.
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
As Democrats look for new leadership, AOC emerges as Bernie 2.0
WASHINGTON — For months, Democrats have struggled with an identity crisis. After losing the White House and both chambers of Congress in November, the party has lacked a unified message and has failed to coalesce around a central leader. Enter Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Ocasio-Cortez has long been considered an up-and-comer in the Democratic Party, especially after she was first elected by defeating 10-term incumbent Joe Crowley for New York's 14th District seat. Since then, she's become one of the most recognizable faces of the progressive movement. All of that has crescendoed in recent months. As Democratic voters increasingly call for new leadership following the loss of the White House and both chambers of Congress in the 2024 elections, Ocasio-Cortez has raced to fill that void. She's crushing her own fundraising records in an off-election year and she's ahead in early polls weighing 2028 presidential candidates. 'If you look at her favorability among Democrats, she's very popular across the board,' Brad Bannon, a Democratic strategist, told the Deseret News. 'It's not just young people; it's just not progressives.' On top of all that, she's filling stadiums for rallies nationwide — even in red states. She and Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., launched the Fighting Oligarchy Tour earlier this year to energize the base, finding themselves in filled-to-capacity arenas in states that have trended Republican for decades. The pair appeared before more than 20,000 Utahns in Salt Lake City earlier this month as they went after President Donald Trump, Elon Musk and other GOP leaders — all in an effort to mobilize voters through a message of resistance. 'This movement isn't about partisan labels or purity tests,' Ocasio-Cortez told the crowd at the Huntsman Center. 'But it is about class solidarity.' Ocasio-Cortez owes at least some of her rise to Sanders for the launching pad he's provided her. For years, Sanders has been one of the most prominent progressive voices in the country. He's notched consistently high favorability ratings and was ranked as the most popular senator in the country earlier this year with a 69% approval rating. Sanders has not been quiet in his criticism of the Democratic Party, arguing lawmakers 'lack a vision for the future' and 'are failing the working class.' But that criticism apparently does not extend to Ocasio-Cortez, whom the four-term senator has expressed fondness for. 'Now I want to say a word about my daughter,' Sanders said during the Salt Lake City rally, prompting laughter from the crowd. The pair are closely aligned on several policy issues that have become central to the progressive base. But they aren't as popular among Democrats at large, which could threaten Ocasio-Cortez's reach to more moderate corners of the party. For example, Ocasio-Cortez has long championed policies such as the Green New Deal, Medicare for All, student debt cancellation, and universal child care — proposals that have raised some eyebrows as being too expensive and politically risky. Those same policy stances are what caused Sanders' failure to garner more support for his 2016 and 2020 presidential bids as they posed electability concerns. These policy positions could raise similar obstacles for Ocasio-Cortez. Sanders has endorsed new leadership within Democratic ranks — and his frequent appearances with Ocasio-Cortez may amount to him passing the torch he has wielded for years. 'Bernie's very popular among Democrats, and I think he's transferred some of that popularity to AOC,' Bannon said. 'She embodies the energy on the left. And I think the Democratic progressives are very restless. They want new leadership. They want younger leadership. And she's in a perfect place to inherit that.' That sentiment is reflected in national polling. Although Democrats lack a central party leader, there are a handful of lawmakers whom voters say best reflect their values — with Ocasio-Cortez leading the pack. About 10% of Democratic-aligned voters said Ocasio-Cortez best represents the party, the most of any party figure. By comparison, Sanders came in third with 8%. Still, Ocasio-Cortez could face an uphill battle as she tries to climb the ranks — especially as some of the more traditional party leaders have questioned her viability. Veteran Democratic strategist James Carville warned not to let Ocasio-Cortez and Sanders become the face of the party, arguing Democrats would be better off if they found someone else to represent the base. 'There's truly depth and talent in the Democratic Party and the faster that we can get them on the field and people seeing them, and the sooner we can get people like Bernie Sanders and AOC not defining who the party is, the better off we're going to be,' Carville said on his 'Politics War Room' podcast last week. Top Democrats expressed similar concerns in years' past, including former Speaker Nancy Pelosi — who in 2019 downplayed the significance of the so-called 'Squad,' a group of new progressive lawmakers who joined the House that year. Pelosi even went so far as to intervene in Ocasio-Cortez's bid to become top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee last year, urging lawmakers to vote for her opponent, Virginia Democratic Rep. Gerry Connolly, according to Axios. As some on the left urge caution about Ocasio-Cortez, she is doing something Donald Trump did before her — instead of trying to gain favor among party leaders, she's going directly to voters to make her case, including in deep-red states like Utah. 'We might all come from different places, but we share a lot of the same experiences,' Ocasio-Cortez said at a rally stop in Las Vegas. 'So to all those who came here today unsure of whether or not this is where you belong, I want to say that you do. You do. No matter who you voted for, no matter if you know all the right words to say. No matter your race, religion, gender, identity or status.' Those who attended the rally in Utah said the national tour was 'strategically and symbolically significant for several reasons,' specifically citing opposition to the idea that Democratic votes don't matter in a red state. The rallies are also crucial to reframe political narratives by highlighting issues that blur political lines, such as health care or workers' rights, according to some attendees. 'I think it's obvious that their visits are not about flipping seats. I mean they're touring off of an election year,' Erika Cunningham, 26, who attended the Salt Lake City rally in her hometown, told the Deseret News. 'Their goals are to shift the political landscape over time while also meeting people where they're at across the entire country, not just in 'safe' blue areas. They represent a model of politics rooted in conviction to the greater cause versus convenience.' Cunningham said Ocasio-Cortez has already positioned herself as a leader of the Democratic Party, noting she is more recognizable as a party figure than actual top members such as House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y. That popularity is partially rooted in Ocasio-Cortez's online presence as she has garnered massive followings on several social media platforms. She has millions of followers on Instagram, X, and Facebook — making her one of the most-followed lawmakers online. 'She's already shaping the party whether or not she is the top ranking official or not,' Cunningham said. 'I think that if Democrats want to stay relevant and have a chance of winning elections in 2026 and/or 2028, they'll need to meet her, and what she represents, halfway.' Other attendees echoed similar sentiments, arguing Ocasio-Cortez has already cemented herself as the 'new face of leadership.' 'She's not bought off. She's got a heart for the people and their needs,' said Cari Oneal, 58, of Salt Lake City. 'She's already the new face of 'a party' because the Democrats sure haven't shown any signs of being the cavalry we need in this fight for democracy.' Although Ocasio-Cortez does not yet hold any leadership perch within the party, that could change in the coming weeks. Rep. Gerry Connolly, D-Va., announced on Monday he would not seek another term due to a cancer diagnosis, and said he would be stepping down from his top seat on the House Oversight Committee. The news has set off a firestorm about who could replace him as the committee ranking member, with Ocasio-Cortez emerging as a top contender. When Ocasio-Cortez previously ran against Connolly last year, she lost in a 131-84 vote. It was a decisive loss, but her performance was significant against someone who has held leadership positions for years. It's not yet clear whether Ocasio-Cortez will seek the position again. It would require some procedural maneuvering as she no longer sits on the committee. However, the New York Democrat has remained mum on her plans. When asked when she would make a decision, she told reporters on Wednesday: 'I'll let you know when I do.'
Yahoo
28-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
What is an oligarchy?
Democrats are embroiled in a debate over using the term 'oligarchy' to describe the Trump administration — not whether they think the description is accurate, but whether Americans are familiar enough with the word to understand its drastic meaning. First-term Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.) recently discussed her 'game plan' for getting the Democratic Party back on solid footing after losing control of the White House and Senate and failing to reclaim the House in last fall's election. Speaking to Politico before a speech in her home state last week, Slotikin said Democrats should remove 'oligarchy' from their vocabulary deployed to attack President Trump and his allies, because it doesn't resonate beyond lefty coastal audiences. She suggested instead that Democrats should say the party opposes 'kings.' But Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), a two-time former candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination who has maintained a strong progressive following, pushed back on the suggestion during an appearance on NBC's 'Meet the Press' on Sunday. Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) have been on a multicity circuit, dubbed the 'Fighting Oligarchy Tour,' that has drawn thousands of supporters in recent weeks. 'I think the American people are not quite as dumb as Ms. Slotkin thinks they are,' Sanders told 'Meet the Press' host Kristen Welker. 'I think they understand very well, when the top 1 percent owns more wealth than the bottom 90 percent, when big money interests are able to control both political parties, they are living in an oligarchy.' On Sanders's campaign website, the duo's tour events are described as 'real discussions across America on how we move forward to take on the Oligarchs and corporate interests who have so much power and influence in this country.' Merriam Webster named 'oligarchy' among its 'words of the week' during the last week of March because it was one of the most searched terms online around the time Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez launched their tour. 'Oligarchy' is formally defined as 'government by the few' or 'a government in which a small group exercises control especially for corrupt and selfish purposes.' More colloquially, the term has been used to describe the 'convergence of economic and political power,' or elite wealth and political influence. While it describes a government structure, some experts argue it isn't mutually exclusive from other forms of government, including democracy. Luke Winslow, an associate professor of communication at Baylor University who has written about oligarchy in America, recently pointed to four factors that set an oligarchy apart from other forms of rule: exclusivity, wealth, subtlety and legal immunity. The term 'oligarchy' has historically been used to refer to the aristocratic elite who hold sway over government in other countries. It is often used to describe powerful, ultrawealthy heads of business in Russia, including by the Biden administration, which levied sanctions against 'oligarchs' who were part of Russian President Vladmir Putin's inner circle. 'Elites close to Putin continue to leverage their proximity to the Russian President to pillage the Russian state, enrich themselves, and elevate their family members into some of the highest positions of power in the country at the expense of the Russian people,' the Biden Treasury Department wrote in a news release on the sanctions in 2022. The phrase also has been used to describe leadership in The Philippines, China, Iran and Ukraine. Sanders and other progressives often have pointed to growing income inequality in the U.S. among factors they cite as evidence of the country veering toward oligarchy, as well as the wealth of Trump's top advisers. Trump, a billionaire businessman and former reality television star, has counted billionaire tech mogul Elon Musk — the world's wealthiest person, with a reported net worth north of $380 billion, and a top donor to Trump's 2024 campaign — among his closest advisers since returning to the White House in January, and multiple billionaires and multimillionaires are serving in Trump's Cabinet. 'We are living in the richest country in the history of the world, and yet you got one person, Mr. Musk, who owns more wealth than the bottom 53 percent of American households. That is insane. That is oligarchy on steroids,' Sanders said on 'Meet the Press.' 'Are you living in a democracy when Mr. Musk can spend $270 million to elect Trump and then becomes the most important person in government?' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Hill
28-04-2025
- Politics
- The Hill
What is an oligarchy?
Democrats are embroiled in a debate over using the term 'oligarchy' to describe the Trump administration — not if they think the description applies, but whether Americans are familiar enough with the word to understand its drastic meaning. Background: First-term Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.) recently discussed her 'game plan' for getting the Democratic Party back on solid footing after losing control of the White House and Senate and failing to reclaim the House in last fall's election. Speaking to Politico before a speech in her home state last week, Slotikin said Democrats should remove 'oligarchy' from their vocabulary deployed to attack President Trump and his allies, because it doesn't resonate beyond lefty coastal audiences. She suggested instead that Democrats should say the party opposes 'kings.' But Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), a two-time former candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination who has maintained a strong progressive following, pushed back on the suggestion during an appearance on NBC's ' Meet the Press ' on Sunday. Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) have been on a multi-city circuit, dubbed the ' Fighting Oligarchy Tour,' that has drawn thousands of supporters in recent weeks. 'I think the American people are not quite as dumb as Ms. Slotkin thinks they are,' Sanders told 'Meet the Press' host Kristen Welker. 'I think they understand very well, when the top 1 percent owns more wealth than the bottom 90 percent, when big money interests are able to control both political parties, they are living in an oligarchy.' What it means: On Sanders's campaign website, the duo's tour events are described as 'real discussions across America on how we move forward to take on the Oligarchs and corporate interests who have so much power and influence in this country.' Merriam Webster named 'oligarchy' among its ' words of the week ' during the last week of March because it was one of the most searched terms online around the time Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez launched their tour. 'Oligarchy' is formally defined as 'government by the few' or 'a government in which a small group exercises control especially for corrupt and selfish purposes.' More colloquially, the term has been used to describe the 'convergence of economic and political power,' or elite wealth and political influence. While it describes a government structure, some experts argue that it isn't mutually exclusive from other forms of government, including democracy. Luke Winslow, an associate professor of communication at Baylor University who has written about oligarchy in America, recently pointed to four factors that set an oligarchy apart from other forms of rule: exclusivity, wealth, subtlety and legal immunity. Where it's been applied: The term 'oligarchy' has historically been used to refer to the aristocratic elite who hold sway over government in other countries. It is often used to describe powerful, ultrawealthy heads of business in Russia, including by the Biden administration, which levied sanctions against 'oligarchs' who were part of Russian President Vladmir Putin's inner circle. 'Elites close to Putin continue to leverage their proximity to the Russian President to pillage the Russian state, enrich themselves, and elevate their family members into some of the highest positions of power in the country at the expense of the Russian people,' the Biden Treasury Department wrote in a news release on the sanctions in 2022. The phrase also has been used to describe leadership in The Philippines, China, Iran and Ukraine. 2024 Election Coverage Why some are using it to describe the U.S.: Sanders and other progressives often have pointed to growing income inequality in the U.S. among factors they cite as evidence of the country veering toward oligarchy, as well as the wealth of Trump's top advisers. Trump, a billionaire businessman and former reality television star, has counted billionaire tech mogul Elon Musk, who is the world's wealthiest person with a reported net worth north of $380 billion and was a top donor to Trump's 2024 campaign, among his closest advisers since returning to the White House in January, and multiple billionaires and multi-millionaires are serving on Trump's Cabinet. 'We are living in the richest country in the history of the world, and yet you got one person, Mr. Musk, who owns more wealth than the bottom 53 percent of American households. That is insane. That is oligarchy on steroids,' Sanders said on 'Meet the Press.' 'Are you living in a democracy when Mr. Musk can spend $270 million to elect Trump and then becomes the most important person in government?'
