Sen. Bernie Sanders didn’t hold much back in showing his support for California’s proposed ‘Billionaire Tax’ ballot at an event in the Golden State.
“Starting right here in California these billionaires are going to learn we are still living in a democratic society where the people have the power,” Sanders said to the crowd Wednesday. “Never before in American history have we seen the kind of greed, arrogance and moral turpitude.”
The independent senator from Vermont took the stage in Los Angeles at The Wiltern, an Art Deco theater, addressing a crowd of 1,500 to rally support for the “California Billionaire Tax Act,” a 2026 ballot initiative designed to raise an estimated $100 billion over five years to offset looming federal healthcare cuts.
“Make billionaires pay their share” was the theme of the evening as unions kicked off their campaign. Sanders said it was time for “our country to finally confront a grotesque level of income and wealth inequality.”
“We are looking at a moment in history where never before have so few people had so much wealth and so much power.”
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Yellow and blue signs reading “Support Public Education,” “Food Security Is Healthcare,” and “Billionaire Tax Now: Vote Yes 11/3/26” flooded the auditorium.
Healthcare workers in the audience wore their white coats, while others donned white T-shirts featuring a blue California map and the slogan “Tax the Billionaires.”
The proposal would impose a one-time 5% tax on billionaires, Sanders called it an “emergency” step to support health care workers in the state.
Governor Newsom is in opposition of the tax, and has warned that such a tax could create a short-term windfall but lead to long-term revenue losses if high-net-worth residents relocate.
Sanders also called out Google Founder Sergey Brin and Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg during his address, and mentioned Elon Musk’s SpaceX and Tesla companies for not paying a share fair in taxes.
Even as he fights to tax billionaires, Sanders himself racked up more than $550,000 in 2025 on private jet travel during his “Fighting Oligarchy” tour with lefty Rep. Alexandria Ocasio‑Cortez, according to 2026 FEC filings. The luxury flights allowed the duo to hit dozens of rallies across the country, but critics say the jets clash with Sanders’ populist message — one that was on full display in the Golden State.
The Sanders event was headlined by Rage Against the Machine guitarist and songwriter Tom Morello, who fired up the crowd with a fiery pro-union message.
“My name is Tom Morello, and I am a union man,” he said, noting that his mother was a union teacher.
Recent surveys show roughly 60% of likely voters in California support a wealth tax on billionaires, even as a majority acknowledge it could prompt some businesses or entrepreneurs to leave the state.
The flight of the ultra‑wealthy is already underway: at least six California billionaires — including Google’s Larry Page and Meta’s Zuckerberg — are cutting ties with California. Larry Ellison has also quietly snagged up Nevada estates as tech titans flee high taxes.
