Senator Bernie Sanders, Fighting Oligarchy Tour, Rally in Wheeling, WV, Aug. 8, 2025 📣 [View all]

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) wows Wheeling, WV crowd on latest leg of ‘Fighting Oligarchy’ tour, Pittsburgh Post Gazette, Aug. 8, 2025.
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WHEELING, W.Va. — Cheers and applause shook the walls of the Capitol Theatre in Wheeling on Friday night as hundreds of mountaineers welcomed U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders on his ongoing “Fighting Oligarchy” tour. Some in the crowd sported red bandanas, signifying mine workers’ labor organizing efforts in the state in the early 20th century, while others wore ‘’Fight the Oligarchy’ T-shirts purchased from vendors outside.

A sea of pompoms waved in the air as ‘“Power to the People’’ blared from theater speakers.

“Whoever said West Virginia was a conservative state?” Mr. Sanders stated. “Somebody got it wrong.” The Vermont Independent chose Wheeling to launch the latest leg of his “Fighting Oligarchy” tour — part of a push into “deep red” and rural communities ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. His website describes the tour as an effort “to have 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.”

The Wheeling stop came as Democrats debate how to win over working-class voters and as local advocates push for solutions to poverty, housing shortages and environmental disasters. Health care also was a central focus Friday as Mr. Sanders criticized President Donald Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill” for its deep cuts to Medicaid. “Fifteen million Americans, including 50,000 right here in West Virginia, are going to lose their health care,” Mr. Sanders said, a statement that prompted boos from the crowd before he continued, “Cuts to nutrition — literally taking food out of the mouths of hungry kids.”

Mr. Sanders then turned to education, asking who in the room were teachers. Dozens of people raised their hands. “You hear all of these politicians say they love America,” Mr. Sanders said. “If you love America, you love the future of America, which is our children.” He called for tuition-free public colleges, expanded access to trade schools and legislation guaranteeing teachers a minimum salary of $60,000.

“What we have got to do is to make it clear that we want our young people, all of our young people, regardless of their income, to be able to get the best education that they can,” he said...

https://www.post-gazette.com/news/politics-nation/2025/08/08/bernie-sanders-wheeling-west-virginia-fighting-oligarchy-tour/stories/202508080082