Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) lashed out at political consultants as he talked about how estranged some Democrats are from their constituents and how others have found a way to connect with voters.

During an appearance Monday on MSNBC’s “The Rachel Maddow Show,” the progressive torchbearer said, “In my opinion, the leadership of the Democratic Party, in many ways, is very out of touch with where Democrats are in general, where a lot of independents are, where the foundation of America is.”

He continued: “The division we’re seeing in the Democratic Party right now is those who get a lot of money from wealthy campaign contributors, hire consultants, and I have to tell you, that kind of consultant is so far removed from reality that it’s really quite pathetic. That’s a wing of the Democratic Party.”

Comparing the old guard approach to the success of rising stars like New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani, Sanders said, “And then there’s the other wing, and that’s what Mamdani did in New York. He ran a campaign that said, ‘You know what? We’re going to take on the oligarchs. We’re going to create a city that’s affordable.’ And he put together an extraordinary grassroots movement. About 90,000 volunteers.”

In a Monday interview on MSNBC, Sen. Bernie Sanders, here Nov. 5, blamed the
In a Monday interview on MSNBC, Sen. Bernie Sanders, here Nov. 5, blamed “pathetic” political consultants for leading many top Democrats in the wrong direction.

Anadolu via Getty Images

“Now, needless to say, I agree with this latter approach,” the Vermont Democratic Socialist continued.

His comments come at a time when ideological fractures within Democrats appear deeper than ever. In the wake of a strong Democratic showing during last week’s elections, eight moderate senators bowed to pressure to reopen the government and voted in favor of a Republican-crafted funding bill without winning a single concession.

Sanders said the decision was “terrible” for the American people, made the party look “weak” and undermined the political momentum already on his side.

Asked whether Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (NY) should be removed for failing to keep the party in line, Sanders said, “I can argue that Chuck Schumer has done a lot of bad things,” but the progressive flank has yet to cultivate enough candidates to “successfully take on the Democratic establishment.”

At 84, Sanders has already been outspoken about the need to find new voices to carry out his progressive political mission.

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When asked who he wants to pass the torch to in an August interview with CNN’s “State of the Union,” he said that whoever his political successors are has to “understand that you have to unequivocally support the working class of this country.”

He didn’t mention any names, but added: “There are some fantastic young people” who fit the bill.