Dem Senator Admits Bernie Confuses Voters, Says Party Lacks ‘Alpha Energy’ [WATCH]

In an appearance on PBS NewsHour Wednesday, Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) addressed her recent public disagreement with Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), clarifying that her issue was not with the substance of Sanders’ remarks about economic inequality and concentrated power, but with the use of the term “oligarchy,” which she said is unfamiliar to many voters.

Slotkin’s comments came in response to a clip played by co-host Geoff Bennett, in which Sanders said, “I think the American people are not quite as dumb as Ms. Slotkin thinks they are. I think they understand very well, when the top 1% owns more wealth than the bottom 90%, when big money interests are able to control both political parties, they are living in an oligarchy.”

In response, Slotkin said she agrees with Sanders’ core message.

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“So, my response is, I agree with everything he said, other than, my dad didn’t know what oligarchy meant,” Slotkin explained.

“Like, he asked me what it was about. It’s not that I disagree on the concepts or on the principles, and he’s right. And that energy that he’s bringing is great. It’s just that we’ve got to, again, communicate to those folks who may not know what an oligarchy is, like my dad.”

Slotkin emphasized the importance of communicating complex issues in language that resonates with voters who may not be familiar with political terminology.

Bennett noted that figures like Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) are drawing large crowds and contributing significant energy to the Democratic Party through their rallies. He asked Slotkin about the ongoing debate regarding the ideological direction of the party.

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Slotkin responded by rejecting the idea that the party’s internal divisions are based on traditional labels like “moderate” or “progressive.”

“You’re right. I do not think that the debate anymore is about moderate versus progressive and whatever all of that means,” she said.

“I think it’s about, do you believe that we need to fight back against the Trump administration or that we should wait it out?”

She continued, “There’s a really big difference among elected Democrats right now on whether to just, like, wait and let all these things that Trump is doing just play out and boomerang on him and we’ll get through it, or do you think that Trump 2.0 is really different than Trump 1.0 and raises some existential questions about the fate of our democracy, and, therefore, we need to fight and fight in different ways? I’m in that second category, fight, but that debate is not about moderates or progressives. It doesn’t break down on those lines, at all, anymore.”

Later in the interview, Slotkin addressed internal policy challenges within the Democratic Party, calling for a reassessment of regulatory burdens.

She specifically cited concerns raised by small business owners and farmers.

“A lot of regulation that we’ve put on a small business owner or a farmer was well-intended. It was,” Slotkin said.

“But what ends up happening is, there [are] 25 different regulations on a farmer, including watching how he climbs a ladder, in order to get him the certification that he needs. I think we slow down the process. And we need to be willing to say, you know what, maybe 25 good, well-meaning regulations [end] up in a bureaucratic morass that we need to take a look at.”

Slotkin’s remarks signal a call for the Democratic Party to focus more on practical governance and accessibility in its messaging, while also preparing for what she described as a more aggressive posture in response to the Trump administration’s second term.

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