NASHUA – Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders of Vermont brought his campaign to Nashua Community College on Tuesday, along with a message of taking on the “corporate elite” and President Donald Trump.

Attendees even had their choice of Cherry Garcia or Phish Food Ben & Jerry’s ice cream for the hot late summer afternoon.

“We have got to recognize that no real change will take place in this country unless millions of people are prepared to stand up and fight back and tell the corporate elite that this country belongs to all of us, and not just the handful of billionaires,” Sanders told those in attendance.

With only days before the 2019 New Hampshire Democratic State Convention – and only about five months before the first-in-the-nation presidential primary – the candidate who won the primary in 2016, Sanders, is hoping for another strong performance in his neighboring state.

During his speech, Sanders touched base on many issues, including:

the single-payer “Medicare for All” plan,

a $15 per hour minimum wage,

gun control, and

pulling no punches in going after Trump.

“It gives me no pleasure to describe the president of the United States as a racist, as a sexist, as a homophobe, as a xenophobe and as a religious bigot,” Sanders said while talking about Trump.

“This is a president who is a pathological liar, who says one thing on Monday, and a very different thing on Tuesday,” Sanders continued.

“This is a president who has strong authoritarian tendencies, a president who does not understand the Constitution of the United States, the separation of powers,” Sanders added.

Sanders cited polls as recent as a few days ago showing him ahead of the president as reason to believe that he and his campaign are in a good position to beat Trump.

“So we, with great pleasure, will defeat Trump, and I think we’re in a strong position to do so,” he said.

Sanders told those present that during the last few decades, despite rapid growth in technology, Americans’ income has not kept up with inflation. However, the “one percent” has seen a vast growth in wealth.

“I am talking about Wall Street, and I’m talking about the drug companies, and I’m talking about the insurance companies, and I am talking about the military-industrial complex, and I am talking about the fossil fuel industry,” Sanders said. “I’m talking about the prison industrial complex; I am talking about the one percent.”

While recalling how well he did in New Hampshire in 2016, Sanders said he believes the country is ready to address those issues facing the working class people of the nation.

“The American people are prepared to take a hard look at the hard issues facing the working class and the middle class of this country,” he said.

Mathew Plamondon can be reached at 594-1244, or at mplamondon@nashuatelegraph.com, @telegraph_MatP.

Newsletter