Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez spoke at Mullett Arena for their "Fighting Oligarchy Tour."
The Tempe stop on March 20 was one of multiple on the tour, which is also set to visit Tucson on March 22 with Texas Rep. Greg Casar.
Ocasio-Cortez was the fourth speaker to take the stage in front of the over 5,000 attendees. The New York congresswoman started her speech with a message meant to unify the "everyday working Americans" in the crowd.
"We are witnessing an oligarchy in America — those with the most economic, political and technological power destroy the public good in order to enrich themselves at the price of millions of Americans," Ocasio-Cortez said. "We know that a better world is possible."
Miranda Weber, a junior studying business law, said it was important for her as someone from the next generation to be in the crowd hearing from Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez.
"Young people are the next generation, (and we're) going to be going into these fields and in this world," Weber said. "So it's important to know what's going on and how to make change."
Ocasio-Cortez spoke out against Republicans around the country but also called for Democrats to do better and fight "harder for us."
"That means our communities, each and every one of us, choosing and voting for Democrats and elected officials who know how to stand for the working class," she said. "Tempe I want to give you your flowers for a second, because you all have been working overtime to make that happen."
Weber said she has followed Ocasio-Cortez for years and now wants to know how Democrats might change.
"I've looked up to AOC since I was in middle school, so I'm really excited to hear her talk about fighting oligarchy and the changes that the Democratic Party is making to combat what the other side is doing," Weber said.
Ocasio-Cortez finished her speech with a call for people to stay united. She then introduced Sanders who she said "has spent his entire life trying to bring us together."
Sanders quickly criticized President Donald Trump for continued criticism and cuts to Social Security, Medicaid and Veterans Affairs.
"We have a message for Mr. Trump, and that is, we will not allow you to move this country into an oligarchy," Sanders said.
Sanders took numerous breaks in his speech to hear directly from members of the crowd about things like daily stress and insurance deductibles.
"The truth is that the overwhelming majority of people — Democrats, Republicans, independents — understand that everybody in this country has the right to a decent, comfortable standard of living," Sanders said.
After his almost hour-long speech, Sanders left the crowd with continued reassurance about "our great country."
"From the bottom of my heart, I am convinced that they can be defeated," Sanders said. "If we stand together, we cannot only defeat Trumpism, but we can create the kind of great nation we know that we can become."
Edited by George Headley, Abigail Beck and Natalia Jarrett.
Reach the reporter at alysa.horton@gmail.com and follow @alysa_horton on X.
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Alysa is a senior studying journalism and mass communication with a minor in political science. This is her fifth semester with The State Press. She has also worked at The Arizona Republic.
