Ex-Bernie Sanders Staffer Says His ‘Fighting Oligarchy’ Tour Is Falling Flat

Former Bernie Sanders campaign staffer Tezlyn Figaro said during a Wednesday interview that the independent Vermont senator’s “Fighting Oligarchy” tour is failing to reach key constituencies.

Sanders has been traveling the country on the tour, speaking to large crowds about how to combat “the Oligarchs and corporate interests who have so much power” in the U.S. Figaro, who served as his national racial justice director during the 2016 campaign, said on “The Breakfast Club,” that Sanders is mainly resonating with left-wing white Americans.

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“There’s still a demographic, people that are not involved at all — people that don’t give a damn about none of this,” Figaro told host Charlamagne Tha God. “Bernie Sanders’ demographic — and I’m just going to be honest — the progressive demographic, the Rainbow Coalition, is white liberals. Pretty much. White progressives. There’s still a lack of talking to those that have completely given up. Completely disenfranchised.”

“Working on that campaign, I’m just going to be straight up with you. I’m very clear about my position with Bernie Sanders: He is talking to a very progressive, white-ran movement to me. And even if you’re Hispanic, it’s still white-adjacent,” she continued. “It’s still, ‘As long as we get everybody who make money out the way, as long as everybody make $15 an hour, all will be well.’ He struggles with dealing with race. I’m saying it as his former racial justice director. Also, everybody ain’t mad at rich people, Charlamagne. Like, some people really trying to get the bag.”

Charlamagne said he believes Sanders’ “Fighting Oligarchy” message is effective, but Figaro disagreed.

“Well, the hood don’t know who the oligarhy is. What— how do you say it?” she asked, with Charlamagne providing the correct pronunciation.

“They don’t even know what the hell you’re talking about. I mean, they don’t … So there’s different messages that people need to have to engage,” Figaro added. “And I think the Democrat Party tent is too big. It’s too big … It needs to be broken down. Everybody’s not going to relate to Bernie Sanders.”

When asked to select the Democratic figurehead they feel “best reflects the core values” of the party, 8% chose Sanders, according to a CNN/SSRS poll published March 16.

Figaro in 2019 sued Our Revolution, an organization launched by Sanders, claiming she was terminated in 2018 because of her race and in “retaliation for complaining about the organization’s treatment towards her and African-Americans,” according to The Associated Press. The lawsuit ended up being settled outside of court and also consisted of condemnation of Sanders’ campaign for having a fully white leadership staff that faced allegations of “racism” as well as failure to reach black voters.