U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders made the second stop in his “Fighting Oligarchy” tour in Iowa City Saturday morning, filling the Englert Theater and addressing an overflow crowd of 1,175 people at Bread Garden afterwards.
Sanders spoke about issues of wealth consolidation, the influence of Elon Musk and other billionaires in US government, rights for the working class, and unions — urging Iowans to reject despair and pressure Congresswoman Mariannette Miller-Meeks, R-Iowa, to oppose the upcoming Reconciliation Bill.
While his passionate speech drew spirited rounds of applause from the crowds, some attendees expressed disappointment that Sanders made no mention of American aid to Israel.
“What we face with Palestine is our moral integrity,” attendee Dan Phillips said. “Without a morally just party, like the Democrats didn’t choose to [be], we can’t go forward, no matter how much we fight against the oligarchs.”
Phillips, who came to the overflow speech at the Bread Garden dressed in a keffiyeh — a traditional checkered scarf emblematic of Palestinian solidarity — said what is happening in Gaza is an issue of humanity and expressed disappointment that Sanders did not take a stronger stance.
“[Sanders has] been ambivalent and slow on the draw,” Phillips said. “He has said that he wants the arms shipments [to Israel] to stop. But I think it’s a very urgent thing, especially when we have a king-like authoritarian deciding he wants to make a Mar-a-Lago out of Gaza.”
In his speech, Sanders decried President Donald Trump’s decision to cut USAID — the U.S. agency that administers foreign aid — as a “moral outrage.” However, Phillips said he views Sanders slightly less favorably after the senator failed to apply the same moral imperative to the situation in Gaza.
“He talks about moral outrage, but doesn’t bring [Gaza] up,” Phillips said.
Iowa City resident Kelly McKay, who also wore a keffiyeh over a Sanders t-shirt, said while she supports Sanders’ overall message of empowering the working class, no politician is perfect.
“Jewish kids are indoctrinated from birth to love Israel,” McKay said, referencing Sanders’ Jewish heritage. “It’s a very hard thing for them to let go of.”
Ginny Paulson, a former Johnson County delegate, has previously been a vocal supporter of Palestine, appearing at a pro-Palestine protest at Miller-Meeks’ fundraising tailgate event in September.
Paulson said she would have liked to hear Sanders condemn the influence of American Israel Public Affairs Committee, or AIPAC, on elected officials with the same fervor as he condemned the Citizens United decision, which allowed corporations to spend unlimited funds on independent political advertising.
However, she said she is not disillusioned with Sanders and his message overall.
“I did write to Bernie after Oct. 7, when he wasn’t standing up for the Palestinians. And he did write back to me, and he changed his position,” Paulson said. “He was one of the only politicians in the entire Congress that did speak up for the Palestinians. So I do give him credit for that.”
While some attendees expressed disappointment that Sanders failed to address Gaza, his speech focusing on the fight against oligarchy and authoritarianism drew largely positive responses from the crowd. He emphasized the need for grassroots action to counter the growing influence of billionaires and called for policies that prioritize working families and public welfare.
Jean Rankin, a Des Moines resident, said she left at 3:15 a.m. to drive in and lined up outside the Englert Theater before 7 a.m.
“I wanted him to be president, I’ve loved him for years,” Rankin said. “He’s fired up. And he should be. Anybody should be.”
For Iowa City father Jeremy Frerks, Sanders’ call to resist Trump’s administration hits close to home, as he said his daughter was one of many probationary federal employees recently fired under the newly-formed Department of Government Efficiency.
Frerks said his daughter, who graduated from the University of Iowa last year, worked for the U.S. Geological Survey for the past eight months.
“Last Friday, they let her go. Even though her two bosses had put in good words for her,” Frerks said. “The next day, she got a letter from the Department of the Interior stating that it was due to poor performance.”
Frerks, also one of the first attendees in line at the Englert Theater, said he is a long-time supporter of Sanders and his message.
“The guy that we’re seeing today should have been the guy that we put up against Trump,” Frerks said. “[Sanders] probably would have won.”
Iowa City resident Greg Wickenkamp and his friend Annie Ventullo also braved the cold for over two hours waiting in line ahead of the event.
“I’m really excited about any sort of pathways forward that Bernie might suggest,” Wickenkamp said. “I’m really excited he’s on this tour because I think there’s a lot of people disappointed with Democrats and Trump and don’t know how to channel that.”
Ventullo also expressed optimism about the high turnout.
“It seems like Bernie is one of the only folks who’s genuinely here for the people,” Ventullo said.