By Gloria Ogbonna
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) strongly criticized President Donald Trump on Monday during an appearance on CNN’s “The Lead,” condemning the president’s comments suggesting that American oil companies should take oil from Venezuela.
Sanders argued that such remarks reflect a dangerous return to imperialistic thinking and distract from the serious problems facing Americans at home.
Sanders began by pointing to the growing economic hardships within the United States, emphasizing that millions of Americans are struggling to meet basic needs.
According to him, housing costs are soaring, groceries are increasingly unaffordable, and the nation’s health care system is under severe strain.
He argued that instead of focusing on exerting control over another country, the president should prioritize addressing these domestic crises. Sanders said the American people need leadership that focuses on improving living conditions at home, not foreign interventions driven by economic interests.
He went on to express deep concern about the broader global implications of Trump’s actions and rhetoric. Sanders warned that the president’s approach has made the world significantly less safe.
He argued that if the United States sets a precedent by attacking or kidnapping the president of another country—even one widely viewed as corrupt or authoritarian—it opens the door for chaos on the international stage. Sanders questioned what would stop other nations, or even terrorist groups, from using similar justifications to carry out military attacks of their own.
According to Sanders, such actions represent a clear violation of international law and undermine the global order. He stressed that weakening international norms does not just endanger foreign nations, but also puts Americans at greater risk by normalizing lawless behavior between states.
While acknowledging that Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro is “bad news” and that democracy should be supported in Venezuela and around the world, Sanders made a sharp distinction between promoting democratic values and pursuing economic exploitation.
He argued that Trump’s true motive is not democracy, but access to Venezuela’s vast oil reserves. Sanders said the president has made this clear through his statements, and that this pursuit of natural resources is the very definition of imperialism.
In closing, Sanders warned that the world may be witnessing a troubling regression to an era when powerful nations openly exploited poorer countries for their resources.
He suggested that people across the globe are alarmed, fearing a return to the kind of imperial dominance seen decades or even a century ago. Such a path, Sanders concluded, threatens global stability and undermines the moral authority of the United States on the world stage.
Source Breitbart
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