Lines formed up, down, and around downtown Iowa City on a recent Saturday morning, over an hour before doors even opened at the historic Englert Theatre. Everyone was there to see Bernie Sanders, here as a part of his Fighting Oligarchy tour across swing districts currently held by Republicans.
“Bernie was great at presenting ideas in a concise and engaging way. He was great, the speakers were great, and the Rage Against the Machine at the end was a nice touch,” Leif Larsen ’27, a student in attendance, said. “It was fun, which is what matters because that entertainment is what inspires people to act with things like voting in local elections, volunteering, and organizing to fight for what we deserve and need.”
The event opened with a local band, followed by set of local speakers that had been personally impacted by the recent government layoffs under Trump. They included a former Effigy Mounds park ranger, a leader at the VA Health Center, a Costco worker trying to unionize, and even a current UI college student.
Mira Cunning ‘26, a student who attended the event, said: “Bernie opened with real people with real problems, and that really showed me his commitment to all of America.”
Some old themes were brought back as well, such as when Sanders reiterated his vision for an America where health care is a human right, higher education is free, and all workers are paid a living wage, as well as some steps for getting there.
“I think everyone doing little things like buying less from big businesses and calling their legislators can have a big impact overall,” said Cunning.
Sanders also spoke about the importance of building communities locally and about getting involved as much as people can to keep hope during the 2nd Trump administration.
“It’s important for people to be involved in their communities,” said Larsen. “No one person can make that big of a change, but that doesn’t mean we should lose hope, that means it’s time to work harder.”
Sanders then offered some advice for what people in Iowa City should be doing to fight the current administration in Washington. This included calling Iowa senators Chuck Grassley and Joni Ernst, as well as Iowa City’s Congresswoman, Marianette Miller-Meeks (R).
This past Thursday, Democrats protested outside of Miller-Meeks’ Davenport office in opposition to the layoffs from DOGE, as well as the recent budget bill she voted for, which cuts many social programs.
“No one has ever had my back as much as this octogenarian,” said Jacob Dixon ‘25, referring to 83 year old Senator Sanders.
