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Hundreds were turned away from a packed Bernie Sanders event at an Omaha hotel ballroom. A crowd of thousands showed up in Iowa City to hear the U.S. senator from Vermont go after President Donald Trump and his billionaire adviser Elon Musk. And Sanders filled a baseball stadium in Kenosha, Wisconsin, at a rally that felt like something from the presidential campaign trail.
As the Democratic base clamors for more action from leaders, the independent with a complicated, intertwined relationship with the Democratic Party has found significant enthusiasm on a tour of the country he launched last month to speak about Trump's economic agenda. His "Fighting Oligarchy" tour has made five stops in four states since Feb. 21, targeting House districts with vulnerable Republicans who are weighing just how much to embrace Trump's plans.
The 83-year-old acknowledges that his efforts might look like he's seeding the ground for a presidential bid, but that's not what he's interested in. The crowd sizes, however, have raised questions about who could succeed him as the leading Democratic populist and how Democrats can more effectively get their message out in a country that leaned rightward in the last election.
The response to Sanders on the road has surprised even his advisers, who set out with modest ambitions to rally opposition to Trump in places that national Democratic figures rarely visit. After they made plans for a 600-person event in Omaha, they quickly realized they needed to think bigger.
"Within hours, we were well over 600 RSVPs," Sanders's senior political adviser, Faiz Shakir, recalled. "It was like, 'Oh, we got a problem - a good problem - here.'"
• Dems start to catch up
Other Democrats are now starting to catch up to Sanders in some ways. Tim Walz, the Minnesota governor and 2024 Democratic vice-presidential nominee, announced last night that he, too, would tour the country with a focus on Republican-held House districts and hold town halls. And next week, House Democrats are expected to stage a "day of action all across America in support of Medicaid," according to Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (New York), the House minority leader.
The House Democratic Policy and Communications Committee told lawmakers in a memo, which The Washington Post first obtained, to hold a news conference, rally or roundtable as part of a day of action on Tuesday to emphasize the local impacts of potential Medicaid cuts. The memo includes a link to more information about the number of Medicaid beneficiaries in members' districts who are at risk of losing coverage under the Republican budget plan.
Rep. Ro Khanna (D-California) and others have promised to hold town halls in Republican-held districts. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Massachusetts) headlined a large rally outside the Texas Capitol in Austin this past weekend.
Senators have seemed to pick up on the craving for resistance, choosing Wednesday to present a front against the Trump-backed bill to avert a government shutdown that would make cuts to nondefense spending.
But Sanders stands out for his ability to convene people, thanks in large part to a political operation that has been built through two presidential bids.
Asked about some voters' complaints that Democratic leaders are not fighting Trump hard enough, Sanders told Washington Post reporter Hannah Knowles that he would defer to Democratic leaders about their strategy. He said his large audiences show that people are worried.
"It sounds to me that all over this country, people are deeply concerned about the movement toward oligarchy," Sanders said. "When you have a handful of billionaires making enormously important decisions, I think they're concerned about the movement toward authoritarianism."
"I'm here doing my best," Sanders added.
Khanna, a close ally of Sanders, told The Washington Post that Sanders "has really provided the moral leadership for the Democratic Party since the election."
Sanders is expected to continue his tour next week with stops in Nevada, Arizona and Colorado, according to people familiar with the planning, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to share plans that are not yet public.
• Contemplating post-Sanders politics
Sanders is undoubtedly toward the end of a long and storied political career, perhaps best known for his insurgent 2016 White House bid. He was just elected to another term in the Senate, meaning he would be almost 90 when it is over.
Yet, he has influenced a number of younger Democratic lawmakers who could carry his mantle.
Rep. Maxwell Frost (D-Florida), who was once an event organizer for Sanders, told The Post he has realized the power of in-person events and has created his own annual music festival. That is also a lesson Trump has taken, he noted.
"He loves firing up his base," Frost said. "That's something to keep in mind."
Khanna also comes up as a potential political heir to Sanders. Khanna said that Sanders is "irreplaceable," likening him to former presidents John F. Kennedy or Barack Obama.
"I think the broader question," Khanna said, "is how are we going to build on Bernie's economic populism?"
• Republicans respond
The increase of in-person activity by Democrats comes as GOP lawmakers face scrutiny from constituents, including at town halls, over the U.S. DOGE Service - the group led by Musk that aims to reduce the size of the government. Some have opted for virtual town halls amid the controversy.
Rep. Don Bacon (R-Nebraska) happily welcomed Sanders to his district, writing on X that the senator "reminds us how bad Democrat Socialism is and to be grateful for the great state we live in." Bacon is set to hold his first town hall of this Congress later this month - and it will be a tele-town hall, he said, citing "high interest."
Rep. Derrick Van Orden (R-Wisconsin) sought to ease constituent concerns earlier this month when he announced he had spoken with Musk and received assurances that DOGE would "be more refined in their recommendations" related to veterans and farmers.
Sanders's team took notice that Van Orden disclosed the conversation with Musk two days before Sanders was set to visit Van Orden's district.
"At the end of the day, votes are what you're there for, but in his rhetoric, at least you can sense a shift," Shakir said.