Sanders warns Democrats that a Brexit-like future could be looming for the U.S.

In an op-ed piece for The New York Times, Bernie Sanders contended that the same sentiments that led to the Brexit vote could lead to Donald Trump&#039;s election.

(Image credit: Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

published 29 June 2016

Writing for The New York Times, Bernie Sanders continued to nudge Hillary Clinton while warning Democrats that a Brexit-like situation would not be impossible in the United States. The Vermont senator weaved in his usual lines about the global 1 percent while leveling colloquially with his readers: "Could this rejection of the current form of the global economy happen in the United States? You bet it could."

Just as opponents claimed that the Brexit was fueled by racist xenophobia, Sanders urged, "We do not need change based on the demagogy, bigotry, and anti-immigrant sentiment that punctuated so much of the Leave campaign's rhetoric — and is central to Donald J. Trump's message."

The notion that Donald Trump could benefit from the same forces that gave the Leave proponents a majority in Britain should sound an alarm for the Democratic Party in the United States. Millions of American voters, like the Leave supporters, are understandably angry and frustrated by the economic forces that are destroying the middle class.In this pivotal moment, the Democratic Party and a new Democratic president need to make clear that we stand with those who are struggling and who have been left behind. [The New York Times]

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Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.