Sen. Bernie Sanders used his Fighting Oligarchy rally in Alpena, Michigan, on Monday, October 26, 2026, to answer a line President Donald Trump has repeated — that as president, he can do anything he wants. “Well, Mr. President, the Constitution does not allow you to do anything you want,” Sanders said.
Sanders framed the November 3 midterms as a choice: whether Congress keeps acting as a rubber stamp for Trump, or finally holds him accountable. The Alpena rally was one of his final-week stops as he campaigns for Democratic candidates ahead of the midterms.
Source: Bernie Sanders.
Context
The exchange Sanders was answering has run through the whole campaign. President Trump has repeatedly said that as president he can do anything he wants, and Sanders has made the Constitution his reply. The Alpena rally framed the November 3 midterms as a decision about how much power one president should hold: whether the next Congress checks the White House or, in Sanders’ words, keeps acting as a rubber stamp. Michigan is one of the states where that fight will be decided, with competitive races that could settle control of the House. The Fighting Oligarchy tour has taken the same message to Republican-leaning towns across the country in the campaign’s final weeks.
