During an interview with Fox Business on Tuesday, Donald Trump continued to boast about the state of the U.S. economy, telling host Larry Kudlow that under his leadership, “We have the greatest economy actually ever in history.”
However, it appears the American people disagree with Trump’s assessment. According to a recent poll from the Pew Research Center, only 28% of Americans say economic conditions in the country are excellent or good. Almost 4 in 10 Americans also believe the economy will be worse a year from now, the same poll found.
Sen. Bernie Sanders, an independent of Vermont, reacted to Trump’s comments on Tuesday’s “All In with Chris Hayes,” and pointed to the disparity between the president’s economic outlook and the reality faced by so many Americans.
“You wonder whether Trump is completely crazy and delusional or just a pathological liar,” Sanders said. “The idea that anybody would believe that this is a great economy when 60% of our people are living paycheck to paycheck, when the cost of the health care is going up, people can’t afford housing, people can’t afford their basic groceries, child care system is dysfunctional, people can’t afford to go to college.”
“If this is the greatest economy in the history of the world, God help us,” he added.
Sanders told Hayes that the real beneficiaries of the second Trump administration have been America’s wealthiest.
“The billionaire class has seen, since Trump’s second term began, an increase in wealth by over $1 trillion,” the Vermont senator said, referencing a new report from the political advocacy group Americans for Tax Fairness, based on data from Forbes.
He singled out Elon Musk, a Trump ally and former special governmental employee, who is “moving closer and closer” to becoming the world’s first trillionaire.
“The billionaires who sat behind Trump at his inauguration, yeah, the economy is the best ever for them, but for the average working person, not quite the case,” he said.
Sanders also shared specific concerns he’s heard from his constituents regarding the economy. “I’m hearing that from younger college graduates who would normally get decent, entry-level jobs, move up the ladder, they’re having a hard time,” he told Hayes.
One particular concern, according to Sanders, is the economic impact of new technology such as artificial intelligence. “I’ve talked to a lot of working-class audiences, people are very worried about the implication of robotics for their jobs in factories and in warehouses,” he said, adding that “there is no profession out there” that is “not going to be hit,” and predicted “massive job loss.”
“Bottom line is, I’m not a Luddite, and we have got to make sure, though, that AI and robotics work for working people, not just to make these billionaires even richer,” Sanders said. “Do you think they’re worried about the implications of that for working people, the middle class? I don’t think so.”
You can watch Sanders’ full interview in the clip at the top of the page.
Allison Detzel is an editor/producer for MS NOW. She was previously a segment producer for “AYMAN” and “The Mehdi Hasan Show.”