Senator Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., expressed that while he believes Vice President Kamala Harris ran a commendable campaign, he maintains that the Democratic Party is disconnected from the needs of working-class Americans.

In interviews with NBC and CNN on Sunday, Sanders noted that he agrees the Biden administration has enacted policies in support of workers and unions, but he feels the Democratic Party has not sufficiently acknowledged the hardships many voters faced in 2024.

“It’s about ‘What does the Democratic Party stand for?’ Do ordinary people feel ‘Yes, that’s a party that represents my interests?’” Sanders remarked on NBC’s “Meet the Press.”

During his appearance on CNN’s “State of the Union,” Sanders told host Dana Bash that the current political situation for Democrats, who lost the White House and the Senate in the recent election, reflects a reality where “the working class is upset and justifiably so,” emphasizing alarming statistics regarding poverty levels among children and the elderly.

Sanders also remarked that President-Elect Donald Trump effectively connected with working-class individuals by stating, “‘I feel your pain, I understand your struggles and I have a reason for it.’” While he described Trump’s overall message to the public as “unfounded,” he urged Democrats to “communicate to the working class that you acknowledge their realities and are committed to fighting for them.”

He specifically highlighted the importance of raising the minimum wage, lowering healthcare expenses, and focusing on affordable housing.

These remarks by Sanders followed a critical statement he made recently after Harris’s defeat.

“It should not surprise anyone that a Democratic Party that has turned its back on working-class individuals would lose their support,” Sanders stated. “As the Democratic leadership clings to the existing state of affairs, the American public is dissatisfied and demanding change—and they are right.”

However, Sanders did not solely focus on how Democrats can modify their approach to voters on Sunday. When asked on “Meet the Press” if Biden should have exited the presidential race earlier, as some analysts believe could have aided Harris, Sanders refrained from assigning blame to the president: “I won’t dwell on the past… Kamala ran a commendable campaign and did her best.”

He was also queried about suggestions for Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor to resign so Biden could nominate a younger justice in anticipation of a second Trump administration. Sotomayor, however, has not indicated any plans to retire before January.

While Sanders acknowledged he had heard “a bit” of discussion regarding the topic, he still concluded that “it doesn’t seem practical.”