Bernie’s Group Backs a Billionaire

Adriana Stone 0 1 min read

Bernie’s Group Backs a Billionaire

A group that built its brand on attacking billionaire influence just made a very billionaire-friendly move. Our Revolution, the organization tied to Bernie Sanders’ 2016 presidential run, has endorsed Tom Steyer for governor of California.

That alone is enough to turn heads. Steyer is a hedge-fund billionaire and longtime Democratic donor. Our Revolution has spent years talking tough about corporate power, rich donors, and money in politics. So backing one of the richest men in the race is an awkward fit, to say the least.

The group says the decision came down to strategy as much as ideology. With the California governor’s race tightening, leaders said they were worried that splitting the progressive vote could open the door for a Republican win. In their view, Steyer is the strongest option to keep the seat in Democratic hands.

Our Revolution Executive Director Joseph Geevarghese tried to square the circle by saying, “While yes, he is a billionaire, and that’s a real and important concern, it’s equally important to recognize how he’s used his wealth and power,”

He also said Steyer is the candidate most aligned with the group’s agenda and the most likely to win. “The worst thing that could happen is a Republican winning,” Geevarghese said. “Strategically, Steyer and his campaign is best positioned to make sure that does not happen.”

Steyer has campaigned on familiar progressive talking points. That includes single-payer healthcare, taxing extreme wealth, climate action, and cutting down the influence of corporations. He has also pushed a hard-line anti-ICE message, including calls to bring illegal immigrants back into the country and jail ICE agents, according to the source material.

The backlash was immediate. Critics pointed out the obvious contradiction: a group that says billionaires are part of the problem is now asking voters to trust a billionaire to fix it. That is the kind of political move that leaves people wondering whether the message ever mattered, or whether power was the real goal all along.

Social media users wasted no time calling out the reversal.

Even some liberal outlets have taken note of the contradiction. And for Bernie Sanders, the silence around this endorsement may end up saying as much as any statement ever could.

For voters who care about consistency, this one is hard to miss. If billionaires are a threat to democracy on Monday, they do not magically become heroes on Tuesday just because they wear the right jersey.

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