Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) played the political equivalent of his greatest hits during a surprise appearance at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival on Saturday.
The 83-year-old progressive icon took the stage ahead of indie pop artist Clairo’s performance to deliver a fiery speech, where he raged against President Donald Trump, corporate greed and the billionaire class.
Rallying young voters to defend democracy, Sanders told audiences, “This country faces some very difficult challenges. The future of what happens to America is dependent upon your generation.”
“You can turn away and ignore what goes on, but if you do, you do it at your own peril. We need you to stand up and fight for justice, to fight for economic justice, racial justice and social justice.”
Boos echoed through the crowd as Sanders began to sound off against the president.
“He thinks that climate change is a hoax,” the senator continued. “He is dangerously wrong, and you and I are going to have to stand up to the fossil fuel industry and tell them to stop destroying this planet.”
As he let Clairo take center stage, he thanked the singer-songwriter for using “her prominence to fight for women’s rights and to try and end the terrible and brutal war in Gaza.”
The senator’s surprise set came just hours after he headlined a rally at Los Angeles’ Gloria Molina Grand Park, where Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) also spoke and musical guests Neil Young, Maggie Rogers, and Joan Baez performed.