Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) said the United States has become “2 Americas,” contrasting the combined wealth of the country’s richest technology billionaires with the financial struggles many Americans face buying groceries.
In a post on X on Thursday, Sanders said the eight wealthiest men, whom he described as “Big Tech oligarchs,” are now worth more than $2.5 trillion combined, while citing a new poll showing 66% of Americans cannot afford groceries. “We can do better. We must do better,” he added.
The poll Sanders cited was a Washington Post-Ipsos survey that found 66% of Americans described grocery prices as unaffordable, up from 45% in February. The survey also found affordability concerns cut across income groups, with 56% of households earning more than $100,000 annually saying grocery prices were unaffordable.
Food Costs Remain High
Sanders’ remarks come as recent data has pointed to mounting financial pressure on U.S. consumers. An Urban Institute study found more Americans are relying on credit cards, buy now, pay later loans and emergency savings to pay for groceries, while more than one-quarter of working-age adults who used credit cards for food purchases either could not pay their balance in full or missed a minimum payment. The study also found grocery prices have risen 32% over the past five years, making food affordability one of the biggest financial concerns for U.S. households.
Richest Gain Ground
The Vermont senator has repeatedly argued that wealth is becoming increasingly concentrated among the richest Americans. Earlier this month, Sanders said “billionaires get richer while working families struggle” as he urged supporters to organize around policies aimed at creating an economy that benefits working families. In May, he also called wealth inequality a “global crisis,” citing figures showing the world’s roughly 3,000 billionaires added about $2.5 trillion to their fortunes over the past year.
Data highlighted by The Kobeissi Letter showed the wealth of the top 0.00001% of Americans has climbed to a record 12% of U.S. national income, more than quadrupling relative to national income since the 2008 financial crisis as gains in stocks and real estate boosted asset values.
The trend coincides with findings from the UBS Global Wealth Report 2026, which showed the United States added 441,078 new millionaires in 2025, or more than 1,200 each day, accounting for nearly half of all new millionaires created globally.
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by a Benzinga editor.
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