Cara Brown McCormick
US Senator Bernie Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez wrapped up their Fighting Oligarchy Tour on April 16, after a five-day, seven-stop sweep through the West that drew nearly 150,000 people—capping it off with an unexpected appearance by Sanders at the Coachella music festival.
“There were seven events in five days, and the turnouts were unbelievable,” Sanders reported in an email to his supporters. “In total, nearly 150,000 people turned out from ‘blue’ Los Angeles to ‘red’ Idaho.”
The turnout by city, according to the email:
- 36,000 in Los Angeles
- 35,000 at Coachella (Sanders appeared briefly onstage)
- 30,000 in Folsom, CA
- 20,000 in Salt Lake City, UT
- 12,500 in Nampa, ID
- 9,000 in Missoula, MT
- 4,450 in Bakersfield, CA
The tour had a consistent refrain: no cuts to Medicaid, and a sharp critique of corporate concentration, billionaire influence, and political corruption. At 83 years old, Sanders still commands enormous crowds with his message. Ocasio-Cortez joined him throughout, delivering her own full-throated calls to action.
The 35,000 concertgoers cheering Bernie on were probably unaware that the scene was a moment rich in irony: Sanders took the stage at Coachella to denounce oligarchs and the corrupting power of billionaire super PACs—at a festival that is actually owned by a billionaire super PAC donor ranked #45 on the Forbes 400: Philip Anschutz.
The owner of the Coachella festival is so politically connected that The New York Times reported in December 2024 that Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch recused himself from a case whose outcome could benefit the billionaire, citing longstanding ties.
In 2024, nearly 75% of Maine voters approved Question 1, a ballot measure to end Super PAC influence in state elections. It's a clear sign of rising public frustration with the role of unlimited outside spending in American politics.
Stanford professor and democracy expert Larry Diamond recently warned of a growing culture of Super PAC intimidation and coercion in Congress. He pointed to 3 cases, specifically, in which Elon Musk reportedly threatened to use his wealth to unseat lawmakers if they didn't support President Donald Trump's cabinet appointments.
Diamond noted that there is no way to verify these reports. However, he believes “it has long been obvious that Republican members of Congress have been running very, very scared,” and this kind of intimidation has factored into many members' decisions to retire.
Last month, Alaska U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski said she would not be cowed into compliance, despite threats of being primaried, even if Musk were to pour millions into backing a possible challenger. Murkowski is not up for reelection until 2028.
However, speaking at a gathering of nonprofit and tribal leaders in Anchorage on April 14, Murkowski said that the current political climate makes her “very anxious” about the consequences of speaking out. “We are all afraid,” Murkowski said in remarks first reported by the Anchorage Daily News.
“It’s quite a statement. But we are in a time and a place where I don’t know, I certainly have not been here before. And I’ll tell ya, I’m oftentimes very anxious myself about using my voice, because retaliation is real. And that’s not right. But that’s what you asked me to do. And so, I’m going to use my voice to the best of my ability."