Bernie Sanders Calls Out CNN As Part of ‘Serious Problem’ of Billionaires and ‘Wall Street’ Controlling Media — During CNN Hit

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) name-checked CNN as part of a “major serious problem” of billionaires influencing major media outlets.

Sanders joined CNN’s Kaitlan Collins on Tuesday’s The Source to discuss President Donald Trump’s inauguration, and Sanders argued that billionaires like Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk surrounding Trump is proof the United States is “moving rapidly toward an oligarchy form of society.”

The senator then called out billionaires like Bezos and Musk and “Wall Street firms” owning major media outlets and social media platforms. Sanders included CNN on his list. CNN is owned by Warner Bros. Discovery.

“This is what oligarchy is about. You have Jeff Bezos, who owns The Washington Post, Mr. Musk already owns Twitter, you have other billionaires owning the major media outlets in this country, CNN, other companies,” Sanders said. “If you look at who owns them, you’re looking at large Wall Street firms. So you already have a major serious problem in terms of ownership of the media. If Musk ends up owning TikTok, it’ll only make a bad situation much worse.”

He later accused outlets of “caving” to Trump in recent months and said a small amount of “wealthy people” controlling media outlets and platforms would only lead to less dissent and more “fear” in Trump’s second term.

“You have a small number of very wealthy people who own the media who in recent months have kind of caved in to Trump,” he said. “You’re having Trump sue various media outlets and it’s going to result, I think, in a fear of of the media standing up to Trump.”

Watch above via CNN.