Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) made a surprise appearance at the California music festival Coachella on Saturday night.
Sanders introduced artist Clairo and spoke to the thousands of young people in the crowd. It’s the latest in the Vermont senator’s speaking tour across the country.
“The country faces some very difficult challenges, and the future of what happens to America is dependent upon your generation. Now you can turn away and you can ignore what goes on, but if you do that, you do it at your own peril. We need you to stand up to fight for justice,” Sanders said, drawing cheers from the crowd.
Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) have been on a speaking tour in various cities across the country, titled “Fighting Oligarchy,” in response to the Trump administration and Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
They’ve drawn large crowds amid the Trump administration’s cuts to federal programs. Sanders’ appearance at Coachella reached thousands.
Sanders called on the younger generation to fight for economic, social and racial justice.
“Now, we got a president of the United States,” Sanders began.
The crowd booed at the mention of President Trump.
“I agree,” the Vermont senator replied.
Sanders later added that the U.S. economy today is working only for the billionaire class but not for families across the country.
“We need you to help us to create an economy that works well for everybody, not just the 1 percent,” he said.
Sanders thanked Clairo for the opportunity to speak to the concertgoers and thanked her for her continued activism for women’s rights and the people in Gaza.
Sanders’s appearance at Coachella came just hours after a rally in Los Angeles, where he and Ocasio-Cortez spoke to tens of thousands of people. The rally included musical guests such as Neil Young and Joan Baez, according to the Los Angeles Times.