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After weeks of escalating tensions between the United Auto Workers and the major US car manufacturers in Michigan, the labor union expanded its strike<\/a> to more than three dozen locations across 20 states Friday. The widening dispute\u2014which has brought some General Motors, Ford, and Stellantis plants to a grinding halt\u2014has captured the attention of scores of lawmakers as well as President Joe Biden,<\/strong> who pledged<\/a> last week to \u201cjoin the picket line and stand in solidarity with the men and women of UAW as they fight for a fair share of the value they helped create.\u201d Biden\u2019s top 2024 contender, Donald Trump,<\/strong> has also jumped into the fray, attacking<\/a> the president\u2019s electric-vehicle policies while claiming<\/a> that if the UAW does not endorse him for 2024, they are \u201ctoast.\u201d<\/p>\n All in all, it\u2019s a make-or-break situation for Democrats. Especially in the eyes of the Senate\u2019s most outspoken labor crusader, Bernie Sanders,<\/strong> who is calling on the party to show unwavering solidarity for automobile workers. The UAW strike, he tells Vanity Fair,<\/em> \u201cis one of the most important labor strikes in the modern history of this country\u201d\u2014and if the Democratic Party fails to meet the moment, it could hand Trump the presidency. \u201cThe question Democratic leaders have got to ask themselves is, how does it happen that\u2026Donald Trump has the support of the majority of the working class in this country?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n This interview has been lightly edited for clarity and brevity.<\/p>\n Vanity Fair:<\/strong><\/em> We are headed into another election and an election that just like the last one has incredibly high stakes. What are your thoughts on the future of the Democratic Party and the future of the progressive bench?<\/strong><\/p>\n Bernie Sanders:<\/em> What I think\u2014which is very good news\u2014is that many members of the Democratic Party are catching on to the fact that they\u2019ve got to reach out to the working class of this country, who are a majority of the American people. The question Democratic leaders have got to ask themselves is, how does it happen that you have a Republican Party\u2014which wants to cut Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, education, which does not support pro-worker union legislation, and in some cases, dislikes unions\u2014how does it happen that in the midst of all of that, Donald Trump has the support of the majority of the working class in this country? That\u2019s the question that has to be answered.<\/p>\n I think the answer has to do with the fact that for too many years now, Democrats have kind of turned their backs on the needs of the working-class country, and have not acknowledged the economic reality facing tens of millions of people. What is imperative is for Democrats to say, look, we do understand that 60% of workers in this country are living paycheck to paycheck, that half a million people are sleeping out on the streets, that our health care system is broken, that people can\u2019t afford child care, that they can\u2019t afford a retirement. You\u2019ve got to acknowledge that reality. You have got to say, look, we are working night and day, trying to address those issues. We have made some progress, we\u2019ve got a long way to go.<\/p>\n Democrats have to acknowledge that reality and, in my view, develop an agenda widely supported by the American people, which represents the needs of ordinary Americans and not just the people on top. If we do that, I think we defeat Trump. Big time.<\/p>\n Back in 2016, you challenged the \u201cpresumptive nominee\u201d in the Democratic primary. Representative<\/strong> Dean Phillips has argued<\/strong><\/a> that there should be a more competitive primary this cycle. What are your thoughts on that versus just backing Biden fully?<\/strong><\/p>\n Well, I think that at this particular moment\u2014in world and American history\u2014this election is of extraordinary importance. It has to do not only with whether you\u2019re going to have a progressive president in office versus an antidemocratic\u2014with a small d<\/em>\u2014extremist, Trump. This has everything to do with whether or not we are going to recognize and address the climate crisis, whether we\u2019re going to protect democracy, whether we\u2019re going to protect a woman\u2019s right to control her own body, whether or not we\u2019re going to fight for workers rights. President Biden is the candidate right now. I support him. And I think the struggle now is to make the Democratic Party more progressive, more pro-worker, and to see that Biden is elected and elect as many progressive candidates as we can.<\/p>\n We<\/strong> spoke ahead of 2020<\/strong><\/a> about your<\/strong> support for Joe Biden<\/strong><\/a> and the hope that he would be the most progressive president since FDR. How has he done so far? Do you think what Biden is pitching as we head into 2024 is working? Or do we need to see more from him, if he wants to beat Donald Trump?<\/strong><\/p>\n I think the president deserves a lot of credit; he has made it clear that he is a strong believer in trade unions. We have made some modest\u2014but real\u2014progress in dealing with the pharmaceutical industry. We have made some real progress in creating jobs and in building a clean economy. Just the other day, Biden announced the American Climate Corps<\/a>, which is a big deal in creating jobs for young people to help us move away from fossil fuel. So he has done some good things.<\/p>\n Do I think that in general, the Democrats have been as strong as they might, in terms of which side they are on and the great struggle of our time? Whether you\u2019re going to stand with the oligarchy, or you\u2019re going stand with the working class? No, I don\u2019t think they have been as strong as they might. But I have been pleased to see many Democratic leaders make clear that they are standing with the United Automobile Workers in what is one of the most important labor strikes in the modern history of this country.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n