Hundreds packed the Carolina Theatre on Thursday to hear U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders touch on a variety of topics, including wealth inequality and the need for a universal health care system.
The event was part of the Marguerite Casey Foundation's new political education series called "Common Thread."
Sanders says the gap between the haves and have-nots pushed many to support President Donald Trump, even if they didn’t truly support his agenda.
“I don't think they thought it was a great idea to throw 15 million people off of healthcare, Medicaid and the ACA, which is going to be a disaster for our country," he said. "But I think people are hurting, and they looked at the alternative, which is the Democratic Party, and they didn't see much.”
He referenced figures such as Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg and Jeff Bezos as having an outsized influence on the country. Sanders also addressed growing concerns around AI.
At the end of the evening, Greensboro resident Julie Bean, who’s a Sanders fan, said she felt a sense of hope about what people can do together to make the country a better place.
“I think he's been speaking the truth for many decades that people haven't had the courage to speak about, and he knows how to bring people together," she said.
The stop was also part of Sanders’ ongoing "Fighting Oligarchy" tour.