Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Sen. Bernie Sanders aren’t backing down, even when they’re told they’re entering “Trump country.” At their latest rally in Folsom, California, the crowd size spoke for itself as they rolled through another Republican area, proving that their message is resonating beyond the liberal base.
The duo is on their Fighting Oligarchy tour, hitting up cities across the country and drawing huge crowds. Their message: they’re pushing progressive policies and taking aim at President Donald Trump’s handling of the economy and his growing authoritarianism. And it’s catching fire in some of the most conservative places in the U.S.
On Monday, they packed out a venue in Nampa, Idaho—a state Trump won by more than 35 points in 2024. On Tuesday, they found themselves in Folsom, a Republican stronghold, where the crowd didn’t let the “Trump country” label stick.
Before the rally even started, a small plane flew overhead pulling a banner that read, “Folsom Is Trump Country.” But it didn’t faze Ocasio-Cortez or the thousands of people gathered at Folsom Lake College’s athletic track.
Ocasio-Cortez fired back: “I heard that someone started flying a plane with a banner that said, ‘This is Trump country,’” she told the crowd, which responded with boos. “It sure don’t look like it today. I don’t think this is Trump country. I think this is our country.”
Sanders echoed the sentiment, noting the massive turnouts they’ve seen across the country. “We are seeing unbelievable turnouts,” Sanders said. “We were in Idaho — Idaho! — we had 12,000 people coming out in Idaho, the most conservative state in the country. We had 20,000 people in Salt Lake City, a Republican state.”
He added, “I think what the American people — Republicans, independents, Democrats — are saying [is], ‘Sorry, Mr. Trump, we don’t want your oligarchy. Sorry, Mr. Trump, too many men and women have fought and died to defend democracy. You’re not going to take us into authoritarianism.’”
It’s clear: the crowd in Folsom wasn’t buying the “Trump country” label. Ocasio-Cortez and Sanders are making their case, and their message is breaking through even in deeply conservative areas.
Watch the clip below:
AOC: I heard that someone was flying a plane with a banner that said this is Trump country… It sure don’t look like it today.
I don’t think this is Trump country. This is our country. pic.twitter.com/AMjnHddYOf
— Acyn (@Acyn) April 16, 2025
Next stop: Missoula, Montana, a state Trump has won in three consecutive elections.
