-(4)-1731951738-q80.webp){kind=small}
Under a crisp spring sky in downtown Salt Lake City, more than 20,000 energized supporters packed into the city’s Liberty Park on Sunday to hear Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York and Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont deliver a fiery indictment of the Trump administration and Republican lawmakers, particularly Utah’s own delegation.
The event was the latest stop in their national “Fighting Oligarchy” tour, a political roadshow aimed at galvanizing the American working class and exposing what they call the “billionaire capture” of U.S. democracy.
The Utah rally marked one of the largest progressive events in the state’s recent history. With music performances, grassroots organizing stations, and a line of speakers that included local labor leaders and Indigenous activists, the rally was more than a protest—it was a declaration of a movement.
Ocasio-Cortez and Sanders took the stage with urgency, blending their now-familiar themes of economic justice and systemic reform with pointed attacks on the policies of President Donald Trump and his allies in Congress.
Ocasio-Cortez, or AOC as she is known to supporters, didn’t mince words when targeting Utah’s own Republican Senators Mike Lee and John Curtis, accusing them of betraying the state’s working families by prioritizing tax breaks for the ultra-wealthy over basic public services.
“They know, Utah, that that’s not what you want,” she shouted to roaring applause. “They know that it is deeply unpopular. They know that it hurts working families from Utah, but they know that they are not there to serve the working class.”
Her voice, commanding yet emotional, cut through the afternoon air as she denounced Lee and Curtis for voting to extend the 2017 Trump-era tax cuts, which she claimed overwhelmingly benefit billionaires and large corporations.
The extension, passed narrowly in the Senate last month, came alongside a Republican proposal to slash $1.5 trillion in federal spending over the next decade—a package that progressives argue will devastate programs like Medicaid, SNAP benefits, public education, and infrastructure investment.
“They will smile to your face, talk about freedom and opportunity, and then turn around and vote to give another yacht to someone who already owns five,” Ocasio-Cortez said. “Meanwhile, kids in Utah are sitting in overcrowded classrooms, people can’t afford insulin, and bridges are literally falling apart.”
Her critique of Republican fiscal policy echoed a long-standing tension in U.S. politics over who the government truly serves. The congresswoman framed the budget cuts as a “robbery in broad daylight,” arguing that Republicans have conditioned voters to accept austerity for the many and abundance for the few.
Sanders, who followed Ocasio-Cortez to the stage, matched her tone and expanded on the broader theme of economic inequality. He declared that the United States is already living in what he described as an “oligarchic society,” where the interests of billionaires outweigh the voices of everyday people.
“I used to say we’re heading toward oligarchy,” Sanders told the crowd. “But now, let’s be clear—we are living in an oligarchy. A small group of billionaires control our economy, our media, and increasingly, our political system. That is not democracy. That is economic tyranny.”
He drew a direct line from Trump’s tax policies to the recent rollbacks in social services, describing the Republican budget proposal as a “moral abomination.”
He pointed to Trump’s recent push for a 145 percent tariff on Chinese goods—a move that has sent shockwaves through the stock market—as evidence of a chaotic economic policy designed to distract voters from the deeper redistribution of wealth occurring through legislation.
“We have a president who is handing out gifts to billionaires with one hand and punching working families in the face with the other,” Sanders said. “And while he claims to be standing up for the little guy, he is letting corporate America write the rules.”
The Salt Lake City event was not merely a spectacle of progressive rhetoric; it was also a strategic move. Utah is traditionally a red state, but progressives believe there is a growing segment of disillusioned independents, young voters, and working-class conservatives who are beginning to question whether Republican economic policies are truly serving their interests.
The “Fighting Oligarchy” tour has deliberately targeted regions where Democrats have historically underperformed. Recent stops in Montana, Idaho, and Utah are part of a broader attempt to build momentum in areas where Trump won handily but where economic anxiety and frustration with the political system run deep.
Ocasio-Cortez and Sanders both emphasized that change would not come from the top down but from the grassroots up. The rally was full of opportunities for attendees to register to vote, sign up to volunteer for upcoming state elections, and engage with local community organizers focused on healthcare, climate change, labor rights, and education reform.
“There is nothing radical about wanting a decent life,” Ocasio-Cortez said. “There is nothing extreme about wanting to go to the doctor without going bankrupt, or being able to raise a family without working three jobs. What’s extreme is an economy where three men own more wealth than the bottom half of this country.”
Throughout the rally, chants of “Not me, us!”—a staple of Sanders’s past presidential campaigns—echoed among the crowd. The mood was equal parts anger and hope, a mixture that has defined the progressive movement for the past decade.
Attendees were diverse in age and background. Some wore union T-shirts, others held signs reading “Tax the Rich” and “Healthcare is a Human Right.” There were young couples with children, retirees, and college students, all drawn together by a shared frustration with what they see as a rigged system.
Samantha Moore, a 42-year-old school teacher from Provo, said she had never attended a political rally before but felt compelled to be there.
“I’ve watched my students come to school hungry, I’ve seen families get evicted in the middle of winter, and I just can’t stay silent anymore,” Moore said. “I’m here because I believe people like AOC and Bernie are telling the truth. And because I’m tired of politicians like Mike Lee voting to help billionaires while ignoring families like mine.”
The rally also addressed broader themes beyond economics. Ocasio-Cortez spoke about the importance of reproductive rights, voting rights, and climate justice. Sanders emphasized the need to break up corporate monopolies, especially in the healthcare and energy sectors.
But the unifying theme remained clear: this was a rally against oligarchy, against the consolidation of wealth and power in the hands of a few. It was a call to action for voters who feel left behind by both parties, but especially by a Republican Party that continues to champion tax cuts for the wealthy while slashing public investment.
As the sun began to set over the Wasatch Mountains, Sanders gave his closing remarks.
“This is not a hopeless moment,” he said. “This is a moment for organizing. This is a moment for solidarity. This is a moment to say: enough is enough. We are going to fight back. And we are going to win.”
The crowd erupted in applause as Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez left the stage, their hands raised high in unity. Their message was unmistakable: the fight against oligarchy is just beginning, and they plan to take it to every corner of the country.
For Utah’s Republican establishment, the rally was a clear warning that the progressive movement is not confined to the coasts. For Democrats, it was a demonstration of what is possible when bold ideas are matched with bold organizing. And for thousands in attendance, it was a moment of clarity in a political landscape too often defined by cynicism and compromise.
The “Fighting Oligarchy” tour will continue in California later this week, with rallies planned in Fresno and Oakland. Organizers say they expect even larger crowds as Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez continue to amplify their message.
“We’re not here to play defense anymore,” Ocasio-Cortez told reporters after the rally. “We’re here to win. Not for ourselves—but for everyone who’s been told to sit down, stay quiet, and accept less.”
And in Salt Lake City, at least for one night, the working class stood up, made noise, and demanded more.
