OSHKOSH (NBC 26) — Sen. Bernie Sanders came to Oshkosh Monday to speak in support of the Harris Walz campaign. During his speech, he critiqued Donald Trump, advocated for abortion rights, a higher minimum wage and free college tuition and called young Wisconsinites to vote.
- Sen. Sanders criticized Donald Trump for comments Trump made at a Madison Square Garden rally on Sunday.
- Sen. Sanders addressed issues relevant to UW-Oshkosh students, including climate change and tuition costs.
- Sen. Sanders said Kamala Harris will be better for working class America.
(The following is a transcription of the full broadcast story edited for web)
Sen. Sanders spoke at the Culver Family Welcome Center on the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh campus.
He called Donald Trump's comments at the recent Madison Square Garden event racist and sexist.
"What you saw last night, in a way that I've not seen a very long time, is anti semitism, racism, sexism, xenophobia," he said. "That is not a way you bring people together that is where you format hatred and division."
Sen. Sanders also critiqued Trump for calling climate change a hoax.
"Now that is not only stupid, and that is not only in defiance of the entire scientific community, but much worse, it is extremely dangerous," he said.
Senior environmental science student, Meredith Agnew, said after the event she was happy sanders spoke about climate change.
"It's just a topic that we don't see a lot in politics," she said. "It's maybe mentioned on politicians websites, but it's sometimes not addressed to the full extent that it should be."
Many UWO students like Agnew will vote for the first time in a presidential election this year.
"I'm excited to officially cast my vote this time around," Agnew said.
Sen. Sanders said it was important to speak at a college campus to appeal to younger voters.
"Wisconsin is probably going to be decided by a few thousand votes," he said. "This is an enormously important election. I'm here to do everything I can to see that Kamala Harris becomes our next president. I'm going to urge these students to go out, not only and vote, but to bring their friends and co workers out as well."
Sen. Sanders addressed issues relevant to students during his speech, including calling for free college tuition.
"It was just really nice to hear him kind of give insights or highlights to the struggle of like, tuition," Gaiab Vang, a senior Public relations major at UWO, said.
Sen. Sanders said he believes Harris is better for the working class because she plans to expand affordable housing options, reduce the cost of prescription drugs and raise the federal minimum wage.
"If you are interested in the future of working class people, I think Kamala is the choice not Donald Trump, whose main legislative goal is to get more tax breaks to billionaires," he said.
The Winnebago County Republican Party did not respond to request for comment on the event.
